The Price of Change
by The Wandering Bard
Summary: Tragedy strikes the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter when Harry is a mere toddler. Harry grows up abroad as one of the wealthiest people in the world, and quickly takes full advantage of the privileges of wealth. But eventually he finds himself back in his homeland, and realizes that things need to change. But at what cost? M for violence, possible lems Hhr AU
1. The Prologue

**The Price of Change**

The Prologue

* * *

The year was 1980. It was a Thursday, the 31st of July. A warm, ordinary day for most of England. Nothing too out of the usual was happening on the English island country.

For one Mr. James Potter, it would turn out to be one of the most special days of his life. He was at a lunch meeting in London when he got the message, one of his guards walking over and whispering the news into his ear. His first reaction had been irritation that he was interrupted, but then it gave way to surprise and joy. No matter how important that meeting was originally it paled in comparison to the importance of what was happening elsewhere at that moment.

His eyes widened at the news and he felt his heart leap in his chest, his heart rate getting faster. James stood up and excused himself, apologizing to the clients he was meeting with and promising to reschedule as soon as he was able.

"My wife is in labor." He responded simply to their questioning and somewhat offended looks as he quickly left them and exited the restaurant, not wanting to waste any more time.

His two bodyguards followed behind him closely. They ducked into a nearby alleyway and, making sure no one was around, they apparated to St. Mungo's Hospital. With a slight cracking sound, they disappeared only to reappear in a small room. Not missing a beat, James walked out of the room and emerged into a hallway. There were several people walking up and down the hallway, a few of them going into one of the many rooms in the apparition wing of the hospital.

James soon found himself in the main lobby. There was somewhat of a lull as the place was usually packed, busy, and noisy but in this case was mostly empty and quiet. As he approached the front desk, a familiar voice called out behind him.

"James?"

Turning around, he flashed a warm smile towards one of his close friends as he approached, coming from the apparition wing as well.

"Frank! What are you doing here?" He asked curiously.

"Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Well, Lily's gone into labor."

"You're kidding!"

James shook his head. "It's true. I was on my way to her ward when you arrived. I was in the middle of a business meeting when I found out, and then came straight here."

Frank Longbottom started to laugh.

"What? What is it?" Asked James, giving his friend a confused look.

Frank shook his head as he composed himself. "Alice is in labor too!"

"Quit pulling my leg, Frank."

"Honest! She is!"

James couldn't help but grin. What were the odds? "Well, I'll be... I guess we're going to be fathers at the same time, mate." He looked Frank straight in the eyes, an excited twinkle in both of them. "Our kids can grow up together... And they will be good friends, just like we are."

Frank gave him a nod. "Right you are, James. But I think we should get to our respective wives sooner rather than later. We can talk about this fantastic coincidence and future implications another time."

James chuckled, "Alright then. Congratulations, Frank! I hope everything goes smoothly for you guys today."

"Right back at you! Congratulations!"

They approached the desk together and asked one of the healers on duty where they might find their wives. They were directed to two different wards, and so they parted ways.

Minutes later and James was outside Lily's ward, the two bodyguards posted far down the hall. The room had been soundproofed so that the screams wouldn't escape and bother anyone, particularly the other patients, but he knew that her cries of pain and effort existed.

There were seats placed by the door, but he could not find it in himself to sit down. He paced back and forth in front of the door, wringing his hands in nervousness and anticipation. He couldn't believe it. He was going to have his first child soon. He had barely really thought about it since his wife had told him the news. At the time he had been both shocked and ecstatic, but eventually he lost himself with his work again.

After all, he still had to work. Plus there wasn't much he could do anyway, since the servants took care of everything and they had to wait about nine months anyway before the child would come out.

He wondered if it was a boy or a girl. They had opted not to be told the gender of the baby, since the healers already knew with their diagnostic spells. James and his wife wanted it to be a surprise though so they could only guess. He hoped it was a boy.

He didn't know how long he paced out there, but eventually the door to the ward opened. There were no screams or cries that emanated from the room. Was it all over?

"How did it... how did it go? How is she? The baby...?" He asked one of the healers who stepped out.

"Lord Potter," she greeted with a bow of the head, "It went well. She's fine and the baby is healthy. Why don't you go in and see for yourself? If you'll excuse me, I must attend to my other patients." As she walked away she congratulated him over her shoulder.

James hesitated for one second before he stepped through the threshold and into the ward. His wife lay on the bed, looking very much exhausted. She was smiling though, and in her arms she held the baby who was wrapped up in a white towel.

"Lils." He didn't really know what to say as he approached her bedside.

She looked up, her smile widening. "Hey darling. You missed the show." She looked exhausted.

James grinned, "I didn't mind missing _that _part, to be perfectly honest." He looked to the bundle in her arms. "How is the baby?"

Lily Potter turned back to gazing at her adorable little baby. "_He _is doing really well for a newborn. He's in perfect health I'm told."

He had a son. James couldn't believe it. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out a hand, placing it gently on the baby's head. This was his son.

"He has your eyes." He noted the green hue of the baby's pupils.

She leaned forward and kissed the baby's forehead, the movement causing the infant to have a look of discomfort on his face as he started to cry.

"What should we name him?" She asked as she tried to sooth the wailing infant.

"Up to you, dear. You're the one who did all the work," he said with an amused tone.

She gave him a look that told him he should be serious about it.

"Okay, okay..." he conceded, turning serious, "I'm not sure, really. We could name him James too, perhaps. James Junior? James the Second? Though I'm not quite sure how many ancestors I have who were named James... Might have to take a look at the ole family tree again."

Lily rolled her eyes and started shaking her head. "Oh no, no, no, no, no. We are _not_ doing that junior or numbering thing."

"Charlus? Like my granddad? Or maybe we can name him after yours?"

"Harold?" She tested the sound of the name. No, it didn't seem quite right to her. But maybe... "Harry." She repeated it once more, and found herself liking it.

James grinned. He liked the name too. "Harry, eh? That works for me."

"Welcome to the world, Harry James Potter." Lily said to the infant in her arms who had quieted down and was beginning to doze.

James took her hand in his and squeezed it tight as they looked on adoringly at their son.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England  
**_July 30, 1981_

Lily Potter was outside in the backyard with Alice Longbottom, directing the workers on the finishing touches of the party setup. A huge banner that said "HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY HARRY!" was suspended in midair over the big tent, right next to another one that said "HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY NEVILLE." Underneath the tent were numerous tables and chairs and a small stage for the musicians.

Between the tent and the mansion was an assortment of inflatables. A big inflatable slide and a bouncy house, among others. These were for the little kids that some of the guests were going to bring.

James watched from the large windows of his study as he sat behind his big hand-crafted wooden desk made of exotic wood. It had a price tag well above normal, but it was of excellent quality and best of all it was unique. He looked away from the window and focused on the long piece of parchment he had been writing on for the last hour or so.

It was his will. _The Last Will and Testament of Lord James Potter_.

Lily had insisted that he draft one up, in case something were to happen. He had of course been resistant at first, saying that nothing was going to happen and that he didn't need to write one just yet. He was still young after all. But as usual, Lily won out with her logical arguments as well as the fact that he loved her and would do anything for her. It did make a lot of sense, he finally realized and so here he was writing away.

The hardest part though was that by writing it he acknowledged that at some point his time on Earth was going to end. That was a difficult thing to imagine, particularly for someone his age. Yet it had to be done.

It took him another hour to finish and to read it over several times. Once he was satisfied with it, he sealed the will and placed it into a hardened scroll case made of iron. Etched into the metal were runes that held the protective enchantments that allowed only someone of Potter blood to open it. He used it only when he was going to be carrying important documents around.

Better to be safe than sorry, as the saying goes. He then secured the case into one of the magically-enhanced pockets of his coat, which he put on as he walked out of his study. A quick visit to Gringotts was in order.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England  
**_November 17, 1981_

James tossed Harry up into the air, much to the delight of the little one, and caught him before tossing him back up. He did this several times, joining his son in his laughter as he found himself enjoying the moment. After a few more times he stopped, the still giggling toddler tapping at him with his tiny hands as if to say he wanted more.

"That's enough for now. Wouldn't want you to get dizzy, little man." He said to the green-eyed little boy as he put him down on the ground.

Harry looked up at his father, who sat down heavily in a nearby armchair. The little guy started to play with the toy blocks that were scattered about, as well as some toy cars that he loved. He actually made car noises when he played with them, which was a really cute sight to behold.

James watched his son playing with a tired smile.

He had spent only a fraction of the last year and a quarter of his son's life actually with his son. Work was keeping him extremely busy lately, but he considered it a good investment of his time and effort for the future of his family. The Potters were already well off, but his hard work had been steadily growing the holdings of the family to even greater heights.

Only a few people knew of the true extent of the Potter wealth, and those who knew would have been stunned at just how wealthy they truly were. In truth, James did not have to work at all. He could live off of the interest and profits of the family business and investments. But he felt it was his duty to develop that wealth and increase it further.

Plus he found the work to be extremely interesting and, most importantly, challenging. It also made him feel like he was accomplishing something and doing something useful with his life. It gave him a sense of purpose. Even Lily has begun working with the Potter businesses, taking charge of a few holdings and subsidiaries that interested her. She was loving it and welcomed the challenges much like James did, but unlike her husband she made sure to spend more time with Harry than with her work.

Looking at his son as he happily played with his toys, he was beginning to think that soon his purpose should shift from improving the family wealth to raising his only son.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Grounds of the Quidditch World Cup, Ireland  
**_August 25, 1982_

"But what if..." Lily started to say, but was cut off swiftly by her husband.

"He's _fine,_ dear. Stop worrying so much! He's at home with the butler, the elves, _and _the guards. They'll take good care of him." He said reassuringly, feeling somewhat annoyed. He too felt concerned for the well-being of his son, but he trusted the butler, the guards and the elves, all of whom were magically bound to protect and serve the family. His wife had been pestering him every so often since they had arrived at the World Cup camp and he simply wanted to enjoy this time without any worries. The Quidditch World Cup only happened once every four years after all.

"I suppose you're right." She brushed away some errant red locks as she took a sip of wine from the simple but elegant silver goblet in her hand.

They were in their spacious and rather luxurious tent located in the VIP section of the camping grounds, closest to the stadium. The Quidditch World Cup started two days ago, on the 23rd of August. So far most of the games have been pretty one-sided, but now that the more competitive teams are playing against each other the games should get a lot more interesting.

They were, in fact, waiting for the Longbottoms to drop by as they were in the same box together. They were uncharacteristically late, the Potters noted, but figured it had to be something important if it kept them from being on time. Sirius and Remus were gallivanting around no doubt, but they said that they would come by the tent before the doors to the stadium were opened.

Sure enough, the flaps of the tent were pushed aside as three people walked through. The two Longbottoms, Frank and Alice, stepped in along with a third person who James was more than surprised to see. In fact, surprised was insufficient to describe how he felt.

"Frank! Alice! Glad you could make it..." James greeted them with hugs, though he was half-looking at the man who had come in with them.

"Sorry we're late. We..." he looked at the rather short man who had come in with them, "Ran into an old friend." Said Frank with an amused grin.

James let out a beaming smile. "Peter! My goodness, man. Where have you been all this time? It's been, what? Five years?" James asked as he shook the man's hand. He had not seen Peter Pettigrew since they had all graduated from Hogwarts several years ago.

He looked quite the same as he did before, thinner but definitely still chubby. His usual disheveled hair looked cleaner than last he remembered it, indicating an attempt to tame it and look more presentable. He wore a cheap coat that looked to be more than several years old, frayed and worn down, though it actually looked clean for once. As if he had cleaned not only his hair but his clothes recently. James remembered when they had to pester him about his cleanliness, since he was not exactly the biggest advocate of personal hygiene. He also noted that Peter had actually lost a good amount of weight, for he had been quite fat before.

"Lord Potter! It's so good to see you again, old friend." Peter said in his same squeaky voice. "As for where I've been... well, I've been... away... away on business." Before James could react to his vague reply the unexpected guest then turned to the redhead of the group, who had walked over. "And it's always a... _pleasure_ to see a beautiful woman like you, Lady Potter."

Lily giggled at the comment and flashed a smile of her own. "Good to see you too, Peter dear."

"You know you don't have to call us Lord and Lady, especially in private, Peter," remarked James in a serious tone, deciding not to press his old friend for more details, and Peter nodded with a smile.

"He's right, you know," Lily added, "You're living in Ireland now, right?"

Peter was quick to shake his head. "Oh no! Not anymore. I shall be returning to England... ah... soon enough. I've just been away... away on business, as I said."

"Well, it's great that you're here. You're looking well. Are you watching the games with anyone?" said James as they all sat down on some of the comfy seats. He grabbed some of the unused goblets on the coffee table between them all and poured his guests some wine.

"Yes, I'm here with a few... friends." His beady eyes looked over at James. "Although I was hoping I might join you all for this next game so we could hang out... like old times."

-**xxxxxx**-

_Seven hours later_...

"What a brilliant match, wouldn't you say James?" Asked Frank excitedly and the two quickly began to discuss their favorite moments of the game. Bulgaria had pulled it out in the end, barely brushing past Lithuania with a score of 230-220.

They were heading back to their respective tents when Lily noticed that Peter was no longer with them.

Suddenly, several explosions erupted in the distance. Booming sounds that echoed across the grounds, quickly followed by shrill screams and cries of panic and pain. Lights began flashing in the main grounds, indicating a magical firefight. The Potters and Longbottoms all looked at each other worriedly.

"Rioting?" Asked Alice to the group, all of whom had their wands out.

"Maybe," James responded with a shrug, "Come on, let's get to our tents. The Aurors can sort it out."

Before they moved sounds of fighting erupted from behind them as well, an explosion nearby causing them to jump a little. People were running in a panic, screaming and yelling as spells started flying all over. The foursome turned around and saw masked wizards dressed in dark robes firing all kinds of curses at the people.

Frank growled. "Dark wizards... damn terrorists."

"We have to do something." Alice said, looking at her husband. They were Aurors after all, albeit off-duty ones.

James spoke up then. "We're with you, Frank. Alice." He held his wind in a tight grip, his breathing coming slow and steady as he got into his battle mode.

"Let's go!" Cried Frank as he charged forward, flinging spells of his own towards the group of six dark wizards.

Ten minutes later and the dark wizards were down on the ground, some subdued while others were undoubtedly dead. Against such violent dark wizards, sometimes deadly force was the only way to take care of them. None of them felt any remorse for their actions, only a sense of responsibility to fight the enemy and protect the innocents.

"There appears to be a lot more of them on the main camping grounds." Frank noted, his gaze directed towards the bulk of the fighting away from the stadium.

Lily frowned. "Why haven't the Aurors gotten a handle of the situation?"

"I don't know. But we're here and able to help, so let's keep fighting." Alice responded firmly.

James stayed silent. He was uneasy about the whole situation. The Quidditch World Cup was supposed to be a safe event, with at least thirty Aurors present for security. The fact that there was still fighting suggested that a good number of them might have been taken down. This attack seemed to have been planned well, and he had no doubt that many of the Aurors were probably caught by surprise.

"Everyone ready?" Frank asked, looking at each of them as they gave him a nod. "Okay. Stick together and watch each other's backs. Let's teach these baddies a lesson."

They ran towards the fighting, eyes alert and scanning for any enemies on the way. There were still several people running around with frightened looks and more than a few who hid behind various objects, shaking and scared.

The four of them quickly fell upon the flank of the enemy, catching them off guard and downing four of them - one each - before the dark wizards could react. There were a few Aurors who were engaging them, but they were tired, battered, and injured. They let out a cheer when they realized that they were getting some help, though it was short-lived as the dark wizards regrouped and fought both parties.

"These guys are pretty serious. Definitely skilled wizards. These aren't amateurs like that other group we took down!" Yelled James as he erected a shield that absorbed a few curses thrown his way as he ran to a different spot for cover.

Frank took down one of their opponents, sending him flying into a burning tent ten feet back. He yelled back at his friend, "Amateurs or not, they're going to pay for what they've done!" He emerged out of cover and fired off several spells, dodging and deflecting a few that were aimed at him.

Suddenly, a spell managed to get through Lily's defense, making her stumble backwards and fall with a pained cry.

"LILY!" James exclaimed in both horror and anger as he rushed to her side, forgetting for a moment to protect himself as he did so. Thankfully he was not hit as he dropped down on his knees to the ground next to her.

She had a nasty gash on her left side, blood everywhere. She looked to be in terrible pain.

"Lily," he said worriedly as he ran a diagnostic spell that he knew.

"Stupid... so... stupid.. careless.." she said in between hisses of pain.

"Shhh... shh... it's okay. Don't move. Don't talk. Just stay still. I'll patch you up as best as I can. You're going to be okay, you here me Lils?"

She smiled fleetingly, looking at her husband before closing her eyes and grimacing.

He counteracted the curse that was making the pain worse, thankfully recognizing what it was. He then proceeded to use the healing spells he had learned in the Auror Academy during his brief stint as a law enforcement official.

"Bloody hell!" cried Frank, "The Aurors are all down. We're on our own until backup gets here."

"Where the hell _is _the backup?" Alice asked angrily as she shot spells off towards one dark wizard who she had caught in the open. He was putting up a valiant effort to defend himself from the onslaught, but it proved too much and he went down.

James finished, the wound sealed and cleaned up. A true healer would need to work on it to fully heal it, but it would do for now.

Lily's hand grabbed his and squeezed it. "Thanks, honey."

"Don't scare me like that." James said, relief flooding him that she was going to be okay. He honestly felt like his heart stopped for a moment there.

She scowled. "I was being a little careless... but now I'm pissed off."

"I'm starting to feel sorry for these guys already, Lils." He helped her up just as Frank called out to them.

"They're flanking us! On the right!"

"We'll handle it, Frank!" James replied, the couple shared a look and Lily nodding to indicate that she was ready.

-**xxxxxx**-

"Where the hell did these guys come from?" Growled one Remus Lupin as he floated a barrel up in the air, sending it crashing into one of the masked attackers. The barrel smacked the attacker with a loud thud, and Remus' enhanced hearing allowed him to hear with some satisfaction the cracking of breaking bones.

"No clue, but they've interrupted our revelry and I am _most _upset." Said a most irate Sirius Black, hitting another assailant with a nasty curse that had the man screaming in agony. He was a Black, after all, and so his knowledge of dark spells was pretty extensive. Normally, he would not use such curses but he made an exception when he was fighting dark wizards and witches.

They were both still a bit drunk but were good enough to fight back, having sobered quickly when they realized that there was a battle going on.

"We need to find James and Lily." Remus hid behind a hastily erected barrier shield as he was attacked by two opponents simultaneously.

Sirius, several feet away and facing the opposite direction, downed the last of his opponents on that side as the man was ravaged by deep cuts across his upper torso, blood flowing freely. Satisfied that the right flank was secure, he moved to help Remus. It took them another three minutes before they finished off the remaining attackers in the area.

The sounds of fighting had died down some, but it was not over yet.

"You alright?" Remus looked over at his friend.

Sirius scoffed. "It'll take more than a few lowly dark wizards to best Sirius Black the Third."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Come on... Let's go."

They approached the remaining sounds of fighting, and from a distance they could see two groups battling it out. The two of them moved forward cautiously.

-**xxxxxx**-

"Damn that was close." Breathed James, a curse flying over his head and singing the tips of some of his hair, barely missing him.

The aggressive attack left the masked assailant vulnerable though, and Lily took advantage of that. The masked opponent was soon on the ground, unmoving.

"You okay, James?"

"Yeah, Lils. Feeling a bit tired, but I'm okay." He looked at her with concern. "How are _you_?" His gaze drifting down to the torn part of her dress where the injury was still clearly visible.

"I'm fine. It's nothing serious." She assured him, giving him a look when he raised an eyebrow at her and glanced at the wound two more times.

"James? Lily?" A voice squeaked from the shadows.

They both whirled around, wands raised, before they realized who it was.

"Peter!" Lily spoke first with a hint of relief, afraid for a second that someone had gotten a jump on them. "I'm glad you're alright."

"You disappeared on us there." Said James, thinking that perhaps Peter had hidden away to be safe, "But it's still dangerous. You should get out of here."

"L-Let me help you!" Said the rat-like man, getting somewhat unsteadily to his feet and whipping out his wand.

James hesitated for a moment, aware that Peter wasn't exactly a great spellcaster, but decided that it wouldn't hurt to have a little more help. Besides, the man wanted to do it after all and who was he to deny him?

"Alright. Try not to do anything foolish." He turned and began to move back to where Fred and Alice were fighting the last vestiges of the attackers. Lily was close on his heels. They were not more than a few paces away from the Longbottoms when it happened.

"A... Av..." said Peter, trembling a little.

"What was that, Peter?" Lily turned around in time to see it happen.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" exclaimed the short, chubby man with his wand pointed at James' back, suddenly finding an ounce of courage._  
_

A flash of green later and James Potter was face down on the ground, completely still.

Lily was rooted to the ground, frozen as she stared down at her motionless husband. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking. Her wand slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground.

"No... no..." She began to say in a small voice, the sobs and tears coming as she dropped to her knees.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm s-so sorry..." Peter squeaked out, turning and running away.

"NOOOO!" Yelled a voice in the distance.

Overhead, a ghostly image of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth glowed over the grounds.

-**xxxxxx**-

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, London, England  
**_August 26, 1982_

St. Mungo's was a mess, healers moving without pause from one patient to another. Cries of pain and fear from the injured intermingled with the stressed and urgent shouts between healers. The entire available staff of the hospital was on hand, and still it was not enough to handle the volume of the injured. The aurors that normally stood guard at the hospital were forced to assist the overwhelmed staff.

The attack had been devastating. There were fifty-three civilians killed, two hundred and seventy-eight injured, and thirty-six missing. Thirty-nine of the forty Aurors on duty at the event, twenty from Ireland and twenty from England, were dead.

Among the dead, and thought to be the main target of the terrorist group that attacked, were the the Minister of Magic of the United Kingdom, Millicent Bagnold, and the Minister of Magic of Ireland, Niall O'Hara, were both found dead in their viewing box at the arena, where they had been locked down during the fighting. Their entire entourage of guards stood by to protect them, and none of them saw the killer.

Whoever slew them had somehow managed to get into and out of the box undetected. Even though the box itself was protected by its own anti-apparition and portkey wards, on top of the anti-apparition wards and portkey wards erected for the entire stadium. The two Aurors inside the box with them were also found dead. No signs of struggle were found, indicating that they were caught by surprise.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement in Britain was on high alert in all public areas in case the terrorist group might strike elsewhere. They were bold enough to attack the Quidditch World Cup after all, though not entirely successful as many of their number were killed or captured. Of those captured, some of them were found to be under one of the three Unforgivable Curses: the Imperius, which was dark magic that subjected one's mind to the control of the caster.

Many of them were expected to be sentenced to Azkaban, the magical island prison located in the North Sea to the east of the UK.

Junior Minister Cornelius Fudge was named Interim Minister until the Wizengamot convened and decided on who would be the next Minister of Magic. That date was set for the following day, with the full Wizengamot expected to be in attendance after such a tragedy. After that order of business, the Wizengamot was to immediately conduct judicial trials on the captured terrorists.

Sirius and Remus waited outside Lily's room, sitting in the chairs out in the hallway as they waited for the healers to finish up with her. They were quiet, both still in a state of shock and disbelief. Their best friend James Potter was dead. Their two other close friends, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were missing. And worst of all, their once close friend Peter Pettigrew was the one responsible for the death of James.

"Why, Remus? Why did he do it?" Asked Sirius in a hollow voice. "Why..?"

Both of them had dark circles under their eyes and looked exhausted, not having been able to sleep after the ordeal they had gone through.

Remus had no answer for him. He could not comprehend it either. He was not sure if he _wanted _to comprehend it. They had always been nice to Peter. Hell, they had all been close throughout their time in Hogwarts. They were the Marauders! Practically brothers in all but blood. They had been there for each other and had a lot of good memories together. And yet Peter had betrayed them, James most of all. He did not know why Peter did it, but he could at least safely assume that Peter was in league with the terrorist group that attacked them.

The sound of a door opening caused them to stir, both of them standing immediately and looking on eagerly at the healer who stepped out.

He looked tired as well. St. Mungo's was undoubtedly extremely busy following the attack taking care of all the injured.

"How is she?" Sirius asked him.

He sighed. "It looks like she'll make a full recovery. She was hit in the fighting, but the wound was patched up pretty well. We finished what was left of the healing required. Other than that, she's still in shock at the loss of her husband Lord Potter. Lady Potter is currently asleep... and I would suggest that she get as much rest as possible." He looked pointedly at them as he said the last part.

"We'll come back tomorrow then." Remus said in reply, placing a hand on Sirius shoulder. His friend gave a slow nod of agreement, saying nothing.

The healer shrugged, already walking away. "That would be best. Now excuse me, gentlemen, there are others I need to attend to..."

-**xxxxxx**-

**Somewhere in England**

"Crucio!" hissed the man in black robes with a dark green trim, the tone harsh and cold. His right arm extended outward, wand in hand as it pointed towards the short, chubby little man who cried out and writhed in pain. A few seconds later and the spell was released.

"I am pleased with your success at the World Cup, Wormtail." The dark-robed man said with a cold, measured voice. "_However_, you failed to kill both the Potters, as I instructed."

"I-I-I'm s-sorry master... p-please... I'm sorry... I w-will do b-better!" Wormtail stuttered as he lay on the ground in the fetal position. He was shaking from the lingering pain that crawled across and underneath his skin as well as the fear of his master's wrath.

"Because you were, for the most part, successful," the master paused, "That will be the extent of your punishment."

"T-Thank you m-master! Thank y-you!" Wormtail could not believe his luck. He had expected more pain and suffering for his failure, but his master seemed to be in a more forgiving mood.

"But do not make this a habit, Wormtail. When I give you a task, I expect you to complete it. Fully. Am I understood?"

"Yes, m-master. I understand." He figured that he should be more successful in the future. He could not believe that he had killed his own friend. James had always been nice to him, but deep down Peter had always been jealous of the man and while he had hesitated he had ultimately pulled through and taken his life. Lily, on the other hand... he could not bring himself to do that to her. That was the one thing he could not do.

"Someone else will take care of the Potter woman," the master said nonchalantly, spinning on his heel and his robes billowing behind him as he walked to the raised obsidian throne against the back wall of the large hall.

Peter felt conflicted when he heard that. A part of him cared for Lily. He had always had a crush on her, and he wanted to warn her and keep her safe. But another part of him told him to stay out of it. This other part was telling him that if he wanted to live, he would not intervene and he would obey the master's will. Peter did love living above all, so he chose to quell his feelings.

"What of the Longbottoms, Wormtail?" Asked the master, taking a seat on his throne.

Peter got onto his hands and knees, still looking down as the master did not like anyone looking straight at him. "B-Bella has them, m-my Lord."

The master laughed. It was a cold, heartless laugh. "Good. I'm sure she is... _enjoying _their company tonight." He thought for a moment. "Inform Bella that they must not be killed... but that she is free to damage them permanently, so long as they live on. And when she is done, have her drop them off in the middle of Diagon Alley." He laughed lightly at the thought. "Yes... that would work nicely."

"As y-you will, my L-Lord." Peter rose, eyes still averted downward as he bowed towards the master and scurried off.

The master watched the small man scurry away like the rat he was and shook his head. Wormtail had his uses, but he was beginning to wonder if there might be some liability in terms of his loyalty. He needed servants with unquestionable loyalty and commitment. But one had to work with what one got at times.

A snake slithered towards the throne from the shadows. It was a rather large snake, which indicated it was either old or magical. Or both.

"_Masssster..._" the snake hissed, its tongue flicking out at high speed. "_Issss it tiiime?_"

"_Notttt yet, myyy pet. We neeeed to build our sssstrength. We musssst be pattttiiient._" Replied the master as he leaned back in his throne. The black stone felt cold to the touch, but he welcomed the feeling.

The snake slithered itself around the throne, wrapping itself around the base of it. It was long enough to go around twice and it seemed to settle itself down to sleep.

The master had accomplished a great victory with the attack, the first move in the long game ahead. His lips twisted up into a smile as he thought of the future. Things were looking very dark for Britain.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Another HP fic that I really wanted to write. Haha at this rate it will take years to finish my stories... nah, just kidding. But it may take several months. Sorry, but that's just the way I am. Too many story ideas and too many good animes/books/movies to write about. Enjoy!


	2. A New Minister

**The Price of Change**

A New Minister

* * *

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries  
London, England  
**_August 27, 1982_

Nobody questioned him as he strode into the lobby, robes billowing behind him. In fact, people moved aside when they saw him walking along with a serious and rather menacing look on his face that read: "do not mess with me." He moved with a purpose, already aware of where his target was located. Because he seemed to know where he was going, the healers who saw him paid him no mind. He clearly had business there. He clearly belonged.

But in truth, he did not. He was not supposed to be there.

He stopped in front of the door beyond which was his target. He looked around. Nobody was in the hallway. He was alone. There would be no witnesses. His right hand reached out and grabbed the handle of the door. He hesitated.

He suddenly felt doubt eat away at him. Could he really do this to her? Would he be able to live with himself? But what would _he _say, or _do_, if he failed this task? He felt trapped. He felt afraid. It took him a moment to calm himself. As a Slytherin, however, he was quite adept at slithering out of such situations. The only question now was: what was he going to do?

He spent another few minutes thinking, debating with himself as to whether he was going to do as he was told or go his own way. Why did it have to be _her_? Of all people... He shook his head. He needed to focus.

A moment later, he turned the knob.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Ministry of Magic  
London, England**_  
_

In the vast chamber where the Wizengamot convened sat one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Grand Sorcerer, and Order of Merlin First Class recepient.

He was a highly accomplished and popular wizard, one who had defeated a previous Dark Lord (hence the Order of Merlin) several centuries before and thus was considered a Hero and a Living Legend by many. As his Grand Sorcerer title suggests, he was considered to be one of the strongest if not _the _strongest wizard in the world. Though some there are those, of course, who dispute that claim and suggest that he was granted the title mostly because of his popularity as well as the publicity of his achievements.

Nevertheless, he was for all intents and purposes the strongest and most influential wizard of the age. And with the magical government of Britain in a panic from the terrorist attack that resulted in the loss of its Minister, Dumbledore was called upon to help bring about order.

"... because of his accomplishments and his demonstrated leadership and wisdom, I move to nominate Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore to the position of Minister of Magic." The wizard who stood finished speaking and sat down. All around the chamber, the other members of the Wizengamot murmured their agreement.

A witch stood up and seconded the motion. Again the murmurs of agreement echoed around.

Dumbledore sighed inwardly, a headache beginning to take hold. He had been through this before, and like the last time he was going to decline the nomination. He understood why they wanted him to lead. His track record as well as his vast experience and skill set made him the most logical choice. But the most logical choice was not always the best choice - one of the many things he had learned in his more than a century of life.

Before the rest of the governing body got carried away with the matter, Dumbledore stood up. The room fell completely silent, all eyes on the greatest wizard of them all.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot. I am most humbled by your decision to nominate me for the position of Minister of Magic. However, I must respectfully decline. My other duties as Headmaster, Chief Warlock, and Supreme Mugwump unfortunately make me ill-fitted to properly fulfill my duties as Minister and I am disinclined to vacate these positions for I believe I do the most good with these responsibilities that I already have. That said, I believe that someone else with the desire and the skill to handle the position would be a better option than myself." He concluded his short speech, much to the disappointment of the assembled.

"And who might I ask, Chief Warlock, would you recommend for the position?" Asked the head of the Ancient House of Diggory, Lord Amos Diggory.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment as he thought carefully on the matter. Again, everyone waited for him to speak. It was so quiet one could have heard a knut drop on the ground and echo throughout the chamber to boot.

Before he could say anything, however, someone spoke up.

"_If _I may be so bold." The Interim Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood from his seat in the front row. "I would like to nominate myself, Cornelius Fudge, for the position."

That caused a considerable amount of fuss among the gathered members as they discussed the merits of the man who had nominated himself. If anything, it did show his desire and thus drive for the position. Then, before anyone could officially comment on the matter, Dolores Umbridge stood up from the her seat in the middle of the third row.

"I, Dolores Umbridge, would like to second that motion." More discussing among the members ensued.

Dumbledore studied Fudge carefully, his eyes twinkling. From what the old wizard remembered about the man, he was rather weak-willed and possessed not the sharpest of minds, but he was committed and driven to succeed. He did care a great deal about the nation and the people, though the old wizard questioned the man's ethics and values. Still, he was actually a rather safe option in such tumultuous times.

He lacked significant influence, but Dumbledore could help him with that. In exchange for helping the Minister get his position, Dumbledore would no doubt receive the support of said Minister during his term. The man's weak will and dull mind made him easy prey to manipulation, but if Dumbledore were to get to him first and for the greater good then he might turn out to do a decent job of it. Not to mention Dumbledore would in essence be Minister while actually not being caught in the trappings of the actual job.

Yes. He would do, for the time being. Dumbledore rose, causing everyone to quiet down.

"I have come to a decision of my recommendation." His gaze swept the room before settling on Fudge, who looked at him warily. "I believe that the best candidate for the post of Minister of Magic, at this time, is indeed Mister Cornelius Fudge."

There was a slight uproar among the members, as those who found Fudge lacking made their opinions known. The rest though were discussing the fact that Dumbledore had vouched for the man, and while Fudge for the most part was indeed originally not the best candidate, if Dumbledore said he was then he must be better than most people thought.

This went on for a few minutes, with no one else being nominated. Seeing that there appeared to be no one else willing to take up the job or even nominate someone else, Fudge's victory was almost certain.

"ATTENTION!" Dumbledore's voice boomed magically, quieting the assembly. "I call the Wizengamot to a recess of one hour, at which point we shall return to finish deliberations and vote on the next Minister of Magic." He clapped his hands together as he finished speaking and the heavy, giant doors of the chamber swung open.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Somewhere in England**

"My Lord," said the man who was kneeling with his head bowed low, "The Wizengamot is electing a new Minister today. We are currently in recess for the next hour, after which we will be finishing deliberation and then voting."

"And who are they considering? That old muggle-loving fool?" asked the dark master from his obsidian throne, idly petting the head of the large snake that rested in his lap.

"No, my Lord. They considered him, but he declined the nomination. He has instead vouched for the Interim Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

That news surprised him. He thought the man might make a move to consolidate his power over Magical Britain. "Cornelius Fudge? Hmmm. I have not heard of this man or his family. What is your opinion of him?"

The man was quiet for a moment. "Well, master. He is... easily cowed and has little backbone. Many consider him to be an idiot, having achieved average grades in school and done average work as a Junior Minister, which makes me wonder why Dumbledore would vouch for such an unqualified person to be in such an important position." He said this all with honesty.

The man on the throne smiled. He saw what the old man was trying to do. It's what he would have done had he been in the man's position. What the old fool did not realize, however, was that when it came to manipulation, he was second to none. Still, it would not hurt to have his own man be in that position as well.

"Most interesting. Good work," he allowed a rare compliment and he was amused as he noticed the pleased look on his servant's face. "But I want one of my own to be in consideration. I will send Lucius back with you."

"As you will, my Lord."

The man on the throne whipped out a wand and pressed it against a tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. He concentrated and called on one of his most trusted lieutenants.

Within a few minutes, the doors to the dimly lit chamber opened and in strode a most noble-looking figure. He wore expensive clothing, well-tailored to his exact body measurements so that it fit him perfectly. Over everything he had an expensive dark for coat. He had with him a black cane, with a silver handle shaped into snake bearing its fangs. Green emeralds were embedded into the eye sockets.

Long, flowing platinum blond hair fell to his waist and he carried with him an air of superiority and strength. Like all the servants of the Dark Lord, when they were called to action they wore their mask, and Lucius had his on. He stopped next to the man who was still kneeling on the floor and followed suit, kneeling as well as he lowered his head.

"You called, my Lord?" Said Lucius in greeting.

"Rise. Both of you." They got off the floor, but they remained looking at the ground before their master. "I want you to be nominated for the position of Minister, Lucius." He said simply, much to the surprise of the noble.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England**

Sirius Black watched from the doorway as Harry slept in his bed. The little one was still unaware of the sudden change in his situation, of that tragedy that had befallen his family. He fought back tears as he thought of his best friend, and of his best friend's boy who would grow up without his biological father. Closing the door quietly, he turned around to go talk to Remus who was in the library when he noticed the butler walking towards him.

His name was Kyuzo, a young man of Japanese descent that the Potters had hired to be the new butler of the family. The old butler had passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 99. Sirius barely knew anything about the young butler. He was in his late teens and was hired within the last few months by Lily after a trip to Japan where they encountered the young man.

James had been vague on the details when Sirius had asked about him, it was a chance encounter. Sirius was aware that the teen had been involved with some unsavory individuals. James and Lily being who they were would not stand for such a thing and elected to buy his work contract from the criminals for a pretty sum.

That was the extent of Sirius' knowledge of the teen's situation, and at first he had been concerned with the age of the butler. He was so young after all. But he was very competent and highly skilled. He was a great cook and was apparently well-versed in several martial arts. He was also skilled with a sword and spear, according to James who had mentioned it in passing at one point.

He was about as tall as Sirius, with close-cropped dark hair and brown eyes. He carried himself well, his posture immaculate and his movements purposeful and graceful. He was also very quiet, speaking only when spoken to. Sirius wondered if perhaps that was part of his contract, and made a mental note to look the contract over.

"Mister Black." Greeted the teenage butler with a half-bow before he walked on down the hall to do whatever it was that he did when Harry was asleep and not needing his ministrations.

Minutes later, Sirius finally walked into the library. He was used to large mansions, with the Black Estate's mansion being much bigger than this, but he still found it annoying how long it took to get from one part of the mansion to another.

Remus looked up from a tome he was reading when he walked in. "How is he?"

"Sound asleep. He hasn't asked for them yet, but I imagine he will soon enough." Said Sirius as he sat down across the table from Remus.

The Hogwarts professor rubbed his eyes. He still had barely gotten any sleep since the attack, the events of that night still haunting him. They were only a few days away from the start of term and he was not looking forward to returning to his duties just yet. Not while Peter Pettigrew was still out there and in need of punishment for his heinous and unforgivable crime.

"Well, Lily should be back soon enough and he will at least have her." Said Remus, trying to look at the bright side. "And we can fill in as father figures as well as uncles when needed. You know that that's what James would have wanted. Plus, you are the boy's godfather."

Sirius nodded. "I know. I just wish... I just wish it hadn't turned out like this."

"Believe me, you're not the only one who feels that way." He closed the tome and stood up. "Well, I should get back to Hogwarts and finish finalizing my lesson plans for the year." He said that without actually meaning it, his tone hollow. He had no desire to finish up lesson plans at all. Instead, he was probably going to a pub to drink, but he did not want Sirius to know that. He was supposed to be the more level-headed of the two of them after all.

Sirius stood as well. "Let's visit Lily first."

-**xxxxxx**-

**Ministry of Magic**  
**London, England**

Everyone settled back into their seats, the vast majority of the members of the Wizengamot being present at the emergency assembly. Many of them had spent the last hour talking in small groups, and from what Dumbledore was sensing Fudge would get many votes in the election. Someone else had been nominated, an accomplished wizard in his own right, one Lord Lucius Malfoy, Patriarch of the Noble House of Malfoy. He had come in late to the assembly and was quickly brought up to speed by his close friends.

He had spoken quite eloquently after accepting the nomination, mentioning his strong work ethic and desire to improve the lot of Wizarding Britain. He said that he would be willing to use his personal resources to help achieve the Ministry's goals, should the Ministry's resources be insufficient. He also made sure to condemn the terrorist attacks and the group responsible, vowing to bring them to justice swiftly. More than a few members of the assembly looked at him approvingly.

Dumbledore had raised an eyebrow at the nomination, as well as the sudden appearance of the elder Malfoy having been absent during the earlier proceedings. Unfortunately for the wealthy aristocrat, under no circumstances was Dumbledore going to allow him to become Minister of Magic. He was simply too extreme in his views, pureblood views that is, and his election to Minister would be catastrophic.

In the final deliberations, he explained as much to the assembly but in a manner that was more diplomatic. As he spoke, he noted that Malfoy was glaring at him, a slight frown on his handsome face. The Chief Warlock was, after all, reiterating his support for Fudge while simultaneously showing he was opposed to the idea of Malfoy as Minister.

What surprised and confused Dumbledore even further was how Malfoy did not seem to fight hard for the position. It was almost as if he was alright with not getting the post and letting Fudge have it. The old wizard made a mental note to keep an eye out for the elder Malfoy. There was something odd about his behavior and he could not quite place what it was.

Eventually, the deliberations came to a close and the election began. The Secretary of the Wizengamot, a woman named Anita McKellan, began to go through the roll of present members and asked them their vote. The votes were cast aloud, for all to hear. It was required to start with the old families first. The old families had considerable influence in Magical Britain's politics, controlling 199 total seats (69.1%) among the 8 old and noble familes. Usually, many of the other families followed suit with the old family that they liked the most.

"Black family?" Anita called out.

Lord Orion Black stood up slowly, having been terrible injured from a freak accident at his home. It was widely believed that he had hurt himself when an experiment in dark magic went wrong. The Black family was notorious for dabbling in the dark arts. "I vote for Lucius Malfoy."

Dumbledore was not surprised. Lucius was married to Orion's niece, Narcissa, so he was in a way part of the family. The Black patriarch also liked Lucius' pureblood mentality and political leanings as well as the man's own tastes, which included the dark arts.

"Malfoy family?"

Lucius grinned as he stood. "I vote for myself."

"Longbottom family?"

Dumbledore turned, frowning ever so slightly as he was reminded that Frank and Alice Longbottom were still missing. The formidable matriarch of the Longbottom family, Augusta, stood up proudly. "The Longbottoms vote for Cornelius Fudge!" Again, that was unsurprising. They, along with the Potters, often voted against the Malfoys and more often than not supported Dumbledore's views and recommendations.

"Greengrass family?"

"The Greengrass family votes for Malfoy!" Said Lord Greengrass, sitting down quickly afterwards. He rarely spoke during deliberations, and seemed a bit timid for a Lord of a prominent noble house.

"Diggory family?"

Amos Diggory stood and cast his vote firmly. "We vote for Fudge."

"Zabini family?"

"The Zabinis Abstain!" cried their representative, the younger brother of Lord Zabini. They were notorious for staying neutral in most cases, rarely choosing a side and usually only when forced to do so due to the circumstances. Whenever possible, however, they remain neutral and abstain from almost all voting measures because of that family policy.

"Weasley family?"

Arthur Weasley stood up. "The Weasleys vote for Fudge!" Unlike the other prominent noble families, the Weasleys had lost their Lordship due to the fact that they last much of their land when they liquidated a lot of it in order to get cash. As with some of their seats in the Wizengamot, some of their land was also bought up by the Malfoys, and at bargain prices too. The Weasleys were the only family that most other families disdained due to their fall from wealth and status. Their only merit as a noble family being their ancient and pure line.

With the oldest families having cast their votes, the remaining members began to cast theirs.

"Fudge!"

"Malfoy!"

"I vote Malfoy!"

"I vote or Fudge!"

"Cornelius Fudge!"

The voting went on. There were a total of 288 Wizengamot seats, each seat having one vote. Each member family of the Wizengamot, all of whom were pureblood, received a certain number of seats. The majority of families only had one seat and thus one vote. But some had more than one seat, particularly the old houses. The Diggorys, the Potters, the Longbottoms, the Malfoys, the Zabinis, the Greengrasses, the Weasleys, and the Blacks had the most seats of all the other families.

"Cornelius Fudge gets my vote!"

"Fudge for me!"

Overall, the Blacks were the oldest family and therefore had the most seats with 50. Next in family age were the Potters, with 37 seats. Then the Malfoys, who actually were a relatively new family in terms of power, with the majority of their seats coming within the last few decades. They had 30 seats. The Longbottoms had 26 seats. The Greengrasses 18 seats.

"Fudge!"

"Cornelius Fudge!"

"I vote for Lucius Malfoy!"

The Diggorys 16 seats. The Zabinis held 13 seats. And finally the Weasleys, who were actually the fourth oldest family after the Longbottoms, they had 9 seats. They used to have more, but some seats were sold to other families - particularly the Malfoys - because the family was strapped for cash in the last half century.

A representative from each family needed to be present in order to vote on matters, and that representative actually had to be a member of the family by blood. In order for any measure to pass, the Wizengamot needed to have a clear majority of the present members. In order to have a quorum, only sixty members were required to be present, so the minimum number of votes required in such a case to pass a measure would be 31.

Some families who had seats had died out, their seats remaining unfilled as no other families replaced them. There were 27 vacant seats in all. This meant that a full Wizengamot had a maximum of 261 votes, which meant a majority of at least 50% would be a minimum of 131 votes. Thankfully, for elections of any kind it was simply a popularity vote with the candidate getting the most votes winning. For legislation, however, a clear majority of 50% was necessary for it to pass. It would then have to be signed into law by the Minister.

"Abstain!"

"I vote for Malfoy!"

"Fudge!"

Dumbledore looked sadly at the vacant seats allotted to the Potter family. He was most upset at the loss of James Potter, who he considered to be a fine young man. A little misguided in his youth, particularly when it came to pranking the student body and even some of the professors, but he had for the most part grown out of it. He had hoped to gain the support of the young Lord Potter as he moved forward with his plans for the greater good. Though perhaps he might be able to influence the heir.

"Fudge!"

"Malfoy!"

"Abstain!"

This continued on for some time, with each member of the legislative assembly casting a vote.

With the final vote cast, the secretary began to tally them all up. Once she was finished, she double-checked the numbers and then asked her associate, the Undersecretary for Wizengamot Affairs, to verify her calculations. With that done, she handed the final tally over to Dumbledore for announcement of the results of the election.

"Thank you, Anita." The old wizard looked at the results. "As Chief Warlock, it is my honor to announce the results of this election." He began, everyone waiting on him eagerly. Malfoy leaned forward in his seat - he had gotten more votes than he thought. It was possible that he had won, though he hadn't been thoroughly paying attention so he was not sure.

"The next Minister of Magic of the United Kingdom is..." he paused for dramatic effect. "Cornelius Fudge! The final tally: Fudge with 132 votes, Malfoy with 111 votes, and 18 abstained. The final percentages for the vote: Fudge with 50.6%, Malfoy with 42.5%, with 6.9% abstaining." Dumbledore announced pleasantly. "Congratulations are in order for our new Minister of Magic!"

There was some grumbling from the assembly, and Malfoy looked rather displeased, but the chamber erupted in applause all the same.

Fudge stood up from his seat at the front, turning around and waving his hand at the assembly. He looked somewhat surprised and more than happy that he had won.

-**xxxxxx**-

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries  
****London, England**

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" bellowed a stunned and absolutely furious Sirius Black. Beneath the anger though was a sense of disbelief and deep sorrow.

"This can't be happening." Remus said to no one in particular, rubbing his temples with his hands. "This is not real. This is a joke, right? Someone tell me this is a joke."

They stood in the hallway, the same one they had been in when they visited Lily. Where her room should be, there was instead a massive hole that opened to the outside. The entire room had been blasted into oblivion, taking along with it parts of the lower and upper rooms. Thankfully, those rooms had been vacant so no one else was hurt. Lily, however, was written off as a casualty.

Aurors were on the scene, a detective having gone through the crime scene looking for clues. It was a clear hit, according to them, but the identity of the attacker was unknown. The magical signature was unidentifiable, and since the Ministry's magic sensors did not register the extensive spellcasting in this area indicative of the level of damage the destructive spell had produced, it was also evident that the unknown assailant had used an unregistered wand.

"I'm sorry, sirs. But I have come up with nothing. Any potential evidence was destroyed in the blast, and as far as I can tell from searching the area there are no other clues. I'm afraid this case is going to have to be closed on the spot." The Auror Detective said, truly apologetic.

Sirius was still fuming and he showed it, glaring at the detective. "DAMNIT! There has to be something! _Anything_!"

"I am so sorry..."

"NO! You're not! Stop pretending like you're sorry. DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!" Sirius yelled, his anger ebbing away as he pounded the wall with the side of his fist. Tears welled in his eyes. He had lost both James and Lily, and it was all finally hitting him hard.

Remus gave a pained look towards the detective, who nodded in understanding before walking away. The professor placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and patted his back. He was still in a state of shock, but Remus was always better able to control his emotions than anyone of them. It helped that he had for most of his life been forced to control the savage beast that lay dormant within him until once every month when it came out to play.

Sirius wasn't sure how long they stood there in the hallway, but by the time they left the Aurors had already gone. A team was already on the way to repair the damage to the building and set everything back to the way it was. Unfortunately, they could not do the same for Lily.

"We can't even bury her, Remus." Remarked Sirius bitterly, wiping his wet cheeks with his forearms.

"We'll have a service. For the both of them. I'm sure there's a provision for it in James' will..." Remus kept his hand on his friends shoulder, he knew that it was helping.

Sirius sighed. "Harry..." The little one was now an orphan. How could the fates be so cruel? How could this happen? This was all too surreal for him and he did not want to believe that this was reality.

"Come on, Sirius. Let's go." Remus gently tugged at his friend's elbow. "I think we should pass by Gringotts and bring up the subject of the will. I'm sure they're already aware of the situation, given their strange magics and whatnot." He needed to be the guiding voice of reason at the moment, because he knew that Sirius was still quite distraught.

But since he knew that Sirius was the godfather, not to mention the guardian of Harry stated in James' will should anything happen to either him or Lily, Sirius needed to be there and he needed to know what was expected of him. It would help him snap out of his distraught state too. To have a purpose. To have a goal to take care of Harry, the remaining legacy of their two best friends.

Remus sighed, repressing the urge to grieve for his lost friends. He would have time to grieve later. Right now, the two of them needed to get things squared away immediately. Taking care of Harry and his future was their top priority.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Gringotts Wizarding Bank  
London, England**_  
_

Sirius and Remus had been immediately attended to once their identities were verified and the nature of their business confirmed. The goblins ushered them hastily into a back office, where the head of the Potter Account sat waiting for them. He was not as bad looking as his brethren and he had some battle trophies - pieces of jewelry that he had collected from various opponents, indicating a higher class of goblin. Even his office spoke volumes of his ranking within the goblin society, and the bank in particular.

He greeted the two humans pleasantly. "Greetings, Mister Black and Mister Lupin. I am Grudak, but you may call me Gru." They greeted him in return.

He walked back around and sat on his chair, which was elevated so that he could see over his desk properly. He had a sealed roll of parchment on the table, and both Sirius and Remus eyed it sadly.

"I am aware that the two of you and the Potters were close. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences for your loss. Lord and Lady Potter were excellent clients and even better people. They were held in high regard by the goblin nation, and Gringotts especially." Gru told them sincerely.

Both humans nodded slowly.

"Well, now on to the matter at hand. As you are well aware, because of the passing of Lord James Potter, his Last Will and Testament will be read publicly in a weeks time. Before that, however, certain information that Gringotts has about the will may be passed on during extenuating circumstances," the goblin looked at Sirius specifically, "And this qualifies since there is a minor in need of a guardian. As stated by the late Lord Potter, one Sirius Black the third as godfather to the heir and remaining member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter is delegated as guardian of said child upon the passing of the parents. I am, of course, paraphrasing as nobody except the late Lord Potter knows the exact wording he used."

Sirius nodded. "I was told by James about what he intended in the will with regards to guardianship. What I want to know is what should I do now?"

Gru inclined his head. "Nothing. There is nothing you need to do, really. You are technically already the guardian of the Potter heir. The official reading of the will makes it, obviously, official but at that point it is merely a formality."

"So Sirius can begin his responsibilities as guardian?" Asked Remus, shifting in his chair.

"Indeed, Mr. Lupin. However, I would wait until the reading of the will before doing anything major," he paused, "Such as moving out of the country."

Sirius was shocked, and wondered if the goblin had somehow read his mind. That was what he had considered on doing. Harry was not safe here in Britain, not when the Potter family was obviously being targeted. While the Estate may be safe, he could not in good conscience keep Harry locked in their forever until this all died down. The boy needed to grow up in a peaceful, safe, and free environment. Sirius would do everything in his power to assure that he did.

"Will that be all? The goblin asked with a smile, showing rows of sharp teeth.

* * *

**Author's notes: **I've got most of the story already outlined, the only problem now is writing it all down. Onward, I say! Onward!


	3. The Butler

**The Price of Change**

The Butler

* * *

**Potter Estate, England  
**_August 28, 1982_

Sirius's eyes fluttered open. Within a few minutes he had dragged himself out of bed to the bathroom connected to the room he was staying in. He and Remus had decided to stay the night at the Potter Estate, and the house-elves had prepared two of the guest rooms for them. They had checked in to see how Harry was doing and, once they made sure that everything was okay they proceeded to collapse onto their respective beds, exhausted.

Splashing some cold water on his face to speed up the process of waking up, Sirius dried himself off. He looked at himself in the sizable mirror that hung over the silver sink, the basin of which was white and the counter-top made of granite. He looked much improved from before, having slept for more than a few hours for the first time since the World Cup.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he got dressed. There was a full-length mirror that stood in one corner, and Sirius took advantage of it to make sure he looked nice. He liked to dress nicely because he was never sure when he might meet some lady that might catch his fancy, and it always helped to look his best. He also simply liked to dress this way. It made him feel both confident and relaxed with his abilities.

There was a knocking at the door to his room.

"Sirius! Are you awake?" Asked the familiar voice of Remus from the other side of the door.

The young Mr. Black walked over to the door and opened it, revealing his remaining best friend.

"Took you long enough." Remus said with a grin.

"I needed my rest," replied Sirius defensively as he walked out into the hallway. "Besides, it's not like we have a schedule today or something."

"Maybe you don't, but I do. I'm heading back to Hogwarts after breakfast. I _really _need to finish my lesson plans before the start of term."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "I know you need to." His stomach grumbled and he frowned as he rubbed his belly. "Where is breakfast anyway?" It's not that he hadn't been there before and didn't know his way around that he asked that. It was because there were so many places that they had eaten at before when they visited the Potters.

Remus shook his head, still grinning. "Follow me."

They wound their way through the mansion and soon found themselves out on the east wing patio. The sun was shining brightly overhead with clear skies for miles around. The patio had one main dining set and several smaller table and chair sets scattered around, each set having their own umbrella in case of inclement weather. Although it was also easy enough to set up a magical barrier to block rain out from an area.

The stones used for the surface of the patio were exquisite, and the arrangement of the flora around the patio was beautifully done by an outdoor designer.

Harry was already there and seated in his high chair, with Kyuzo feeding him. The young boy was mostly cooperating, though he would sometimes play around with his food. Kyuzo seemed to let him, though only to an extent, as he made sure that the boy ate. Kyuzo bowed to them as they arrived before continuing his care of his charge.

Remus and Sirius sat down and one of the house-elves appeared momentarily, snapping his fingers and breakfast suddenly appearing on the table along with a jug of juice and another of water. The house-elf asked if they wanted anything special to drink and they both asked for some tea.

As they ate, they kept glancing over to Harry with a little sadness in their eyes. The young Potter still knew nothing of what happened to his parents.

"Do you think he'd understand if we told him, Remus?" Asked Sirius suddenly, shattering the silence.

Remus finished chewing his food and swallowed. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. He's young enough that it might not affect him as much." The young professor then looked at the butler who was taking care of the child. "Plus Kyuzo here has been taking care of him for a while now, so even though... even though Lily and James are gone, Harry is at least still going to be taken care of by someone he's comfortable with and that he knows well."

Sirius looked thoughtfully at the butler. "I guess you're right." He then asked the butler, "Hey Kyuzo. Has he asked for his parents at all lately?"

The butler thought for a moment. "Once, Mr. Black. He asked for 'mama' but when I told him that she was not here he continued on with playing."

The two adults nodded.

"I see," said Sirius slowly. "Thank you."

Kyuzo acknowledged the thanks with a slight nod.

When they finished eating, they rested for a moment feeling very full. The same house-elf that came to bring them their food appeared. He had a rather deep voice, much different than the house-elves that they were used to. And he also was slightly bigger and more filled out than the average house-elf.

"Are you sirs finished eating?" he asked.

"Yes, we are. Thank you. It was quite delicious." Remus replied to the elf.

The house-elf bowed. "I am glad that you enjoyed the food." Then with another snap of his fingers it all disappeared save for their drinks. "Is there anything else, sirs?"

Sirius requested for some tea while Remus said that he didn't need anything.

With a pop the house-elf disappeared, coming back several seconds later with a hot cup of tea and a kettle full of it. He then disappeared again.

"Will you let Harry attend Hogwarts?" Remus asked him as the professor was observing the child, who was on the ground babbling nonsense to himself as he played with some toy cars that the butler had brought with him. Kyuzo, done feeding the child, had cleaned up the mess he made and was letting him have his play time.

Sirius had not really thought that far ahead. He would consider it, but it would depend on the safety of returning to England. Since it was several years down the road it was definitely a possibility as the extraordinarily dangerous times of the present may die down by then. He would have to keep a close eye on what was happening in Britain once they were safely abroad.

"Well, Remus, I'm not sure. I would definitely consider it, I mean... all of us went there after all. We had so many wonderful memories at Hogwarts, not to mention it is considered to be one of the premier magical schools in the world." He looked at Harry, still playing on the ground. "But it would depend on whether or not it's safe to come back... and if he even wants to go there."

Remus seemed surprised at his response. "You're going to let him choose? Sirius, you do know he'll only be eleven when you ask him?"

Sirius nodded. "I think it's fair to ask him how he feels about going to school at Hogwarts, far away from where he'd have grown up. Besides, it's not like Hogwarts is the only prestigious magical institution of learning out there."

"But it's the British one, Sirius. And Harry is British. He is part of this society," Remus responded, "Plus he's a Potter! They're the second-oldest British wizarding family still in existence."

Sirius looked critically at his friend. "I know, Remus. I'm well aware of his place in this society, and the social and political responsibilities that come along with him being a Potter." He sighed, running a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. "I just... I just want him to be happy and to be safe."

Remus decided not to press the issue. It was still many years before Sirius would ultimately have to decide on what to do about Harry's education. He looked at his wristwatch, noting the time, and stood up.

"Well, Sirius. We can discuss this when the time comes, I guess." Sirius also got on his feet and they exchanged a brief hug.

"Have a good term, Remus. Try to take it easy on the first years," Sirius said jokingly.

Remus grinned. "I'll do my best." He then walked over to where little Harry was playing and knelt down next to him. The child looked up at him curiously, smiling.

"Heya Harry. Uncle Remus has to go now. I'll see you later, okay?" He placed a hand gently on the little guy's head before standing and bidding the butler farewell. Turning around he said goodbye to Sirius one more time and then walked into the mansion, heading for the special apparition point on the front lawn. It could only be used by those keyed to the wards, and only in that spot. Trying anywhere else was futile as the wards would not allow apparition from anywhere but that point from any non-residents keyed to the wards.

Harry, being a Potter, once he was old enough to apparate would be able to do so from anywhere on the grounds of the Estate. But that time was a long way off.

Sirius, still standing, watched Harry play for a while longer before he decided to go back inside. He needed to study up on possible places they could stay.

"Kyuzo," he called the butler's attention.

"Yes, sir?" The teen gave him a curious look.

"Once Harry's napping, come meet me in the library. I'd like to discuss a few things with you."

"Very well, sir."

Sirius then left the two and made his way to the library. Had James been there, he would have made fun of Sirius to no end about going to the library and reading books. When they were still in school, he had been notorious for not really studying until the last minute, barely opening his books and instead relying on the help and the notes of his friends. Lily had not been very happy about it, and would always lecture him about the merits of studying on his own and studying in general.

Thinking of his late friends made him smile, though sadly, as he walked silently through the large home of the Potters.

-**xxxxxx**-

Sirius woke up with a start. He slowly sat up and looked around. He was still in the library. Evidently, he had fallen asleep. He looked down and frowned. He had also apparently drooled on the book he was reading. A quick wave of his wand and the page was pristine once again. Marking the page where he stopped, he shut the book, _Wizarding Society Around the World_.

As if on cue, Kyuzo entered the library. Spotting Sirius sitting at one of the reading tables, he came over and stopped a few feet away, standing quite still. "You wanted to see me, Mister Black?"

"Yes, Kyuzo. Why don't you sit down? And please, call me Sirius."

Kyuzo hesitated for a second before taking a seat across from him.

Smiling, Sirius started to speak. "How's the little one?"

"Sound asleep, sir. He will be asleep for a few hours."

Sirius smiled, "Good. Now I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here, Kyuzo." The teen nodded. "I was appointed the legal guardian of Harry by his father in the event of his and Lily's passing, though that won't be official until the reading of the will a few days from now. That said, I want to get to know you better since we will be seeing a lot of each other from now on. And you have been and probably will continue to take care of my godson, who is very very important to me."

"I understand, sir."

"Good. Well, let me start. My name is Sirius Black..." he began, but was cut off by Kyuzo.

"Sirius Black, the Third. Born the 17th of November of 1959 in England, the eldest son of Orion and Walburga Black. One younger brother, Regulus Black, born February 24th, 1961. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is the oldest surviving pureblood family in the country, with the most seats and votes in the legislative and judicial body of the Ministry of Magic. It is known as the Wizengamot. Extent of family wealth is unknown, but the Blacks are said to be very opulent."

Sirius was not prepared to hear the butler spouting off such facts about him and was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Sorry." Kyuzo said. "I was already aware of this much information about you, and I did not want you to waste your time or breath."

"You... ah, studied me?"

"Not exactly, sir. I merely studied the pureblood families of England. There were more than several books here on the subject, along with some that even had full family trees." Replied the teen. "I was instructed by the late master to read as many books as I desired during my free time, and he suggested that I get to know the society and customs here, as well as the people. I thought it prudent to therefore study the purebloods, who have the majority of the political, social, and economic power in this country."

"I see. Well, that's useful knowledge." Sirius said honestly. "I'm impressed by your command of the English language, as well..."

Kyuzo shrugged. "Sir, simply because I was raised in Japan does not mean that I did not study English."

"I'm sorry for presuming..."

"It's not a big deal, sir. It is understandable."

Wanting to change the subject, Sirius asked, "So what else did you learn? What other subjects did you study?" He was curious to know the extent of the teen's education.

"I managed to finish high school before I was... put to work. I earned top marks and graduated top of my class." Said Kyuzo simply, frowning slightly as he thought back to that time. "Once I was in the employ of the late Lord Potter, I took the liberty of reading about subjects that I was interested in. Business. History. Politics. Battle strategies. Fighting manuals." He paused. "He also encouraged me to practice my martial arts when I could, so that I may keep my skills sharp and my body in shape. I believe he wished for me to teach young master Harry some day as well."

Sirius was beginning to see why the Potters had helped the teen out. While James and Lily would have helped him out anyway because of his circumstances, they also saw the surprising potential and skill of the young man as well. Sirius was getting more impressed with the butler from Japan.

"Lord Potter once saw me reading an introductory book in personal finance, and he saw that I was interested in the subject of finance and in business in general. He strongly encouraged me to learn as much about business as I could and mentioned that one day he would have me help his son when he studies these same things so that he may be able to properly handle the family businesses and wealth." He had a slight smile on his face.

Sirius was impressed at the knowledge and intelligence of the young butler, as well as his great ability to learn a variety of subjects.

"How old are you, Kyuzo? I'm surprised that you are interested in such subjects, and in learning in general. Most kids your age dislike studying and school."

"I am 19, sir. And... I am _not_ like most kids." Kyuzo responded evenly.

Sirius chuckled. "Definitely not, which is refreshingly different."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, but how much do you know about my contract?"

Sirius was surprised by the question. "Ah, not much. Why do you ask?"

Kyuzo frowned and shifted in his chair. "Well..." He trailed off. He seemed to be unsure about whether or not he should tell Sirius about whatever it was that he was thinking of.

Sirius did not want to push him to reveal it, but now he was very curious to know.

"Did... Did Lord and Lady Potter ever tell you about how they met me?" Kyuzo was looking him straight in the eyes.

Shaking his head, Sirius said, "No." He had a feeling this was something serious.

The teen nodded his head. "I thought as much. It was most like them to keep this hushed, especially since no one else besides them really needed to know."

"Kyuzo, I can tell this is something difficult for you to share with me... you don't have to tell me now. But perhaps later, when we know each other better," offered Sirius with a hint of concern.

A moment of silence ensued, then the teen said, "I think... I think that you deserve to know now."

Sirius resettled himself in his chair to a more comfortable position. He had a feeling this would be a long story.

"In Japan, family honor and rank as well as social order is very strict. In fact, it means everything in our society. I was born into a lowly family, and my parents had menial jobs even though they were qualified to do so much more. Because of the way our society is structured, however, they cannot advance as quickly if at all than those who were born to families of higher standing," Kyuzo started off, his gaze never dropping from Sirius's eyes.

"They struggled to get by at times, but for the most part they were able to provide for themselves, albeit barely. In fact, they did better than most who were in similar situations and status. When they had me, life became even harder though. Unfortunately, sometimes it was all they could do to put food on the table and make ends meet." Kyuzo paused, his eyes getting a little watery and his voice having an edge of emotion as the memories returned to him.

"When I was old enough, I was asked to help around the house and eventually take on a part-time job at a local store. I grew up in an environment that demanded hard work in order to survive, and seeing how hard my parents struggled to provide for the family I vowed to work just as hard, if not harder, than they did. That I would help them in whatever way I could," he continued. "When... when I was 9 my father passed away. The long hours at work and the stress of taking care of the family proved too much for him."

Sirius was beginning to feel very sorry for the teen, his own eyes hardening as he felt anger at how Kyuzo's family could not do well simply because of their low social ranking. There were traces of it here in Britain, particularly in the political path, but in truth anyone not of a pureblood family could still make it pretty well here. In Japan, it appeared, this was simply not the case.

"My mother took on a third job, barely sleeping. Eventually, she too succumbed to an illness that required serious medical attention. That's when the _Yakuza_ came." He said the name venomously, his jaw clenching. A single tear escaped his left eye and began to run down his cheek. "They offered to take care of my mother, to pay for her medical bills and ensure her survival. In exchange, I simply needed to work for them. And what did I know then? Of course I agreed."

Sirius was not liking where this was going, but he needed to ask something so he interjected in between Kyuzo's breaths. "Pardon me for my ignorance, but... what is this... Yakuza?"

"The Yakuza is the Japanese Mafia, a vast criminal organization that is not only in Japan but spans the entire globe. They are present in both the magical and muggle realms, though the magical is of course the stronger of the two given their special abilities," explained the young teen.

Sirius nodded and Kyuzo continued his story.

"I was 11 at the time, so of course I agreed. I had shown some promise in school and because of all my work around our house as well as my part-time jobs, which usually involved some form of lifting or manual labor, I also had a strong body. They had been watching me, apparently, as they do a lot of youths who are in my situation." Another tear fell. This time from his right eye.

"So they drafted a contract, one that both my mother and I signed. It was peculiar since we had to sign it both with a pen and with a bloody thumb print - although she was delirious at the time and so had no true idea what the contract entailed. I was too young and too naive to know what was going on. They pricked our thumbs with a knife, letting some blood out before we pressed our thumbs to it. That apparently made the magical contract permanent, since a contract signed simply with a pen can be overcome by a strong enough magic user, either the person under contract or someone else. Since blood was involved in the contract signing though..." He trailed off before resuming again a few seconds later.

"Once that was done, they took her away and said that they would take care of her at their own hospital. They then put me to work almost instantly. They had me train in martial arts and go to high school, since I showed both physical ability and intellect. They were essentially grooming me to become a top lieutenant." He continued, his entire body was rigid as he spoke.

"Whenever I was not training or studying, I was working for them. At first it was menial work, manual labor mostly. But when I was older and stronger, I was forced into the criminal portion of their operation. We set up drug labs, smuggled drugs, smuggled _people_, smuggled anything of value, really, _and_ we collected protection money. We even did a few kidnappings and a robbery. Since they had my contract, I could not disobey. Even though I knew what we were doing was completely wrong, I simply could not refuse." He said, his voice filled with emotion as all the memories he struggled to hide away were brought forth once more.

"I didn't want to do any of those things. I didn't want to hurt all those _innocent_ people... but I could do nothing. The magic of the contract forced me into obedience. No matter how hard I willed myself to stop or to say no, I always ended up doing it and saying yes. Always. So eventually I went up to the boss of my district, who apparently was the actual owner of my contract, and I asked him outright what the contract entailed. I was sixteen at the time.

"Seeing that there was no harm in telling me, he explained everything. It is a magical indentured servitude contract. The contract itself is very simple. I have to obey the owner of the contract without exception and can do no harm to the owner. I have protect the owner of the contract at all costs. I am required to always tell the truth to the owner of the contract. The term length of the contract is for the entirety of my life here on earth. The contract also stipulates that the owner of the contract cannot change the terms of the contract or even release the contract.

This was in order to make sure I would remain a servant forever, in case the owner of the contract might be tricked into doing so or, in a rare situation, if the owner might feel nice and release me or at least give me more freedoms. As you can see the contract basically controlled my entire life. In fact, I would not be incorrect in saying that the contract _is _my life."

Sirius now understood why Kyuzo had asked him if he knew about the teen's contract. It all made a lot more sense now. He was appalled at what had happened to the teen and how he was exploited, and that such a contract was even made to begin with. He was feeling very uncomfortable in his seat hearing this sad story, but he knew that telling him was important for Kyuzo.

Kyuzo saw the look on Sirius' face, and laughed mirthlessly, which made Sirius give him a confused look. "What made it worse was that such a contract was actually legal to draft and to possess in Japanese society. So, if even given the chance, the law would not punish the Yakuza for drafting and having my contract."

Sirius Black was speechless. This boy had been through so much in such a short amount of time, and the fact that he was locked into being an indentured servant forever made his whole situation even sadder.

"A few months ago I was working with the boss. I was a top-notch martial artist already, and a decent spellcaster too, for my age at least. Plus I showed keen mental aptitude, so I became the boss' rising star. Still a little too young to be out doing important missions or be put in charge of operations yet, but I was getting there. Anyways, the boss was going to a very important business meeting and I was told to accompany him along with two of his bodyguards.

We went to a very fancy restaurant, where there was a private room reserved for the meeting. That was the first time I saw Lord and Lady Potter. They were the potential business partners that the boss was courting." He noticed again the slight confusion in Sirius' facial expression as well as in his eyes. "The Yakuza of course have legitimate businesses as well. It's only that their illegitimate and illegal businesses make most of the money, with their legal operations acting mostly as a front as it only accounted for a small portion of their revenues."

Sirius felt a little relieved at that information. He was having trouble with the thought of James and Lily doing business with a crime syndicate.

"So the two bodyguards are outside, along with the two bodyguards that they brought along. I was invited inside, though I simply stood in the corner out of sight. I was introduced as the boss' personal assistant. Lady Potter seemed to take a special interest in me as the night progressed, much to the boss' chagrin, but he really wanted the partnership deal to go through so he did not send me away like he most likely would have had it been a different situation.

Towards the end of the dinner, as they were hammering out the details of the deal, Lady Potter suddenly asked me how old I was. The boss tensed at that and I panicked, getting wide-eyed and looking to the boss for guidance. I was not sure if I should respond, after all. Before the boss could say anything she had repeated the question already and had said that I shouldn't be afraid.

The boss then said that I was 19. That seemed too young for Lady Potter to be an assistant to a prominent businessman, which the boss was, of the area. So she kept asking more questions. Eventually, the boss told me to go outside because I was causing too much trouble, but then Lady Potter insisted I stay. Since the boss had told me to go out, however, I obeyed. Even though Lady Potter grabbed my arm, I shook it off and went outside since I had to obey the command.

The boss was panicking at this point, but he still did nothing as he thought the deal was still going to go through and he didn't want to mess it up. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, Lady Potter followed me outside and asked me why I did not stay. I told her that I could not because the boss told me to go outside. She was very curious to know why I could not disobey, and that's when I let slip that I was had a servant contract with the boss that compelled me to obey." He took the time to wipe the tears from his eyes, his voice losing some of the emotion as the memories he was now calling to mind were more pleasant.

"She was shocked and accosted the boss about the matter. He was quick to explain that it was legal in Japan and made sure to say that it was not he who had contracted the boy, but that he had bought the contract off of an agent. That of course was an outright lie. Anyway, the boss still thought the deal might be salvaged so he kept his cool and did not try anything, not that that would have been successful at all of course since Lord and Lady Potter were highly skilled spellcasters.

Lady Potter then offered to buy my contract in the hopes that she would then free me afterwards. The boss said my contract was not for sale and that the meeting was for the business deal, not my employment contract. Lord Potter then stepped in and said that if the deal was going to go through, the boy must be sold to them. The boss still refused, but when Lord Potter offered two million dollars for my contract he changed his mind. That was a lot of money after all, money that would go personally to him and not the organization since the Yakuza was only expecting the deal out of the meeting.

While he thought I was useful and showed promise for the Yakuza, he was still human and cared a lot for himself and having two extra million dollars in his account sounded a lot better than having a useful servant. With that done, they finished the deal and took me with them. An hour later and they had my contract and we were on the way to the airport. That's when they realized the true extent of the contract. And, well... that's pretty much it. I'm now here, servant to the Potter family."

There was a long silence as Sirius digested the story. He was still quite speechless and in shock. Never in his life would he have guessed that Kyuzo had such a sad and painful history, or that he was a permanent servant to the owner of his contract. While he knew there were people like that out there, to actually have that happen to someone he knew who was important and close - at least at this point to Harry - was appalling.

"I... I don't know what to say, Kyuzo," said the man truthfully.

The teen smiled sadly. "It's fine, sir. I have come to terms with it now, honestly. I've accepted the fact that this is now my life. I cannot change the past."

"Isn't there any way? Any other way that you might be freed from this indentured servitude?"

Kyuzo shook his head slowly, the slightest of frowns tugging at his mouth. "There _is _one way I believe that the contract may be forfeit."

"And what way is that?"

"If the owner of the contract died."

Sirius blanched at that. While he felt sorry for the teen, he would not trade Harry's life for Kyuzo's. Not in a million years. And both of them knew it.

"Ah, I see."

"Don't worry. I cannot harm him and I am bound to protect him with my life. So I would essentially die before he did, which would defeat the purpose, if that situation ever should arise." He assured the older man. "Not that I would try to do that anyway. Even though I was raised in hardship, my parents instilled important values in me. They raised me as best they could under the circumstances and I will not dishonor their memory. I will simply do the best I can with what life I have."

"Speaking of your parents... what ever happened to your mother?"

Kyuzo's features turned dark and he stiffened. "She died the year after I was bound to the contract. They were not kind to her... let's just leave it at that, please."

Sirius swallowed hard. He could only imagine what the Yakuza did to her, and he tried his hardest not to. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Kyuzo."

The teen gave a nod.

Sirius studied the young butler, who was looking away at that point with a sad and pained look. He was impressed at how strong he was, both mentally and physically, and he definitely had good character as far as he could tell. He decided then that he liked Kyuzo, and that he was happy that his godson was being taken care of by him. He would be a good influence on him in Sirius' opinion, not to mention a great resource and hopefully friend.

On the horizon, the sun was beginning to set as the two of them sat in silence on the patio.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Thanks for the reviews. This story has gotten more attention than I thought it would, which is always nice. :)

One quick note that I wanted you all to be aware of is that once Harry is old enough to actually start doing stuff, the story will shift to having him as the main focus. Therefore there will be a lot less jumping around within each chapter, much like this chapter. These first few chapters are setting up the main meat of the story, which will of course star our beloved Harry Potter.


	4. Last Will and Testament

**The Price of Change**

Last Will and Testament

* * *

**Diagon Alley, London  
**_August 29, 1982_

Diagon Alley was bustling with activity, mostly from the younger crowd as many students did some last-minute shopping before the start of term on the 1st of September. There were several Aurors stationed all around, part of the heightened security measures by the Ministry in light of the recent large-scale terrorist attack of the 419th Qudditch World Cup.

While the extra Aurors stationed on guard were a reminder of the dangerous times they seemed to be living in, the people at least felt safe with more law enforcement officials about. That helped to bring people out to the Alley, which had struggled recently with business since the attack. This day was thankfully different, and besides the Aurors on duty, it was also a return to at least some sense of normalcy.

There were children playing, families bustling about, and school-aged kids either shopping or having a good time with their friends or family. Everything was good and happy, the attack already becoming a distant memory.

Every hour or so one person would come up and talk to one of the Aurors stationed at various points all across Diagon Alley. As the main site for the shopping needs of the magical population of Britain, there were usually hundreds of people there.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the other end of the Alley away from the Gringotts side, where the Aurors had concentrated their forces and where the crowds were thickest.

Two of the closest Aurors rushed to the scene, some people running away and screaming fearfully while others warily approached and began to circle around an area. Another Auror went to report the incident to the Senior Auror in charge of the squad stationed in the commercial area.

"Move aside! Move aside!" Yelled one of the two Aurors first on the scene as he and his partner pushed through the small crowd that had gathered.

They finally reached the middle of the circle of people that had formed, and were shocked to see two figures sprawled on the ground. They were covered in all manner of cuts, bruises, and burns. A few fingers seemed to be bent at odd angles as well. Their clothing was tattered and worn. They were bleeding from almost every other inch of their body. In short, they were a complete mess. They were thankfully still breathing, but only barely.

"What should we do?" Asked one of the Aurors, the junior of the two.

"We need to at least stop the bleeding and do some basic healing so that we can get them to St. Mungo's alive, _ASAP__!_" Exclaimed his partner, kneeling down beside one of the two and beginning to administer some basic healing on the spot.

"But shouldn't we question any witnesses? See what happened?"

"Damnit, just help me get these people to the hospital and then we can come back and investigate! Get a move on!"

The junior Auror flinched slightly at his more senior partner's tone and went to the other injured person immediately, administering basic healing. Then once they were finished, which only took a few seconds, they grabbed a hold of each and apparated away with two distinct cracks of sound.

-**xxxxxx**-

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies****  
****London, England**  
_Several hours later..._

Madam Amelia Susan Bones, Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, strode into the lobby of the hotel with four senior Aurors in tow. She was forty-seven years old, but thanks to the fact that magically gifted humans aged slower and because of her own care for her body, she barely looked a shade over thirty. In fact, she could pass for someone who was in their mid to late twenties even.

She had a stern look, but she was quite attractive. Her hair was light brown and fell to an inch above her shoulders. Navy blue eyes looked out at the world without emotion. The fact that she was single would have been surprising to most people who did not know her because she was attractive and successful. For those who did know her, it was expected.

Amelia loved her work with a passion. She enjoyed making a difference every day with her every decision. She relished the fact that she was helping to make the world a brighter and better place through, as she put it, "cleaning out the dirt and trash" of society. That love for her work and her responsibilities at work meant that she had very little personal time.

What little personal time she had was spent either sleeping or spending time with her family, most particularly her niece Susan who was two. That then left absolutely zero time for any romantic interests, if there even were any. Those few who did attempt to woo her did not last long. Her intensity and her lack of availability were more than they could put up with.

An Auror who was waiting for them stood up from one of the waiting benches and greeted the Deputy Head with a slight bow. He instructed them to follow him as he turned around and began to walk.

In Amelia's hierarchy of important things in her life, there were really only three things: family, work, and being just.

As a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she was able to protect the first and do both the second and third things. Unluckily, she had lost family at the Quidditch World Cup. Her brother Edgar and his entire family were killed when a particularly nasty set of spells hit their tent. They did not live long after that.

Ordinarily, she would be interested in this new terrorist case anyway. But now it was personal. She was now actively interested in the case. Today was a surprise, and she had to be sure of the report she had received.

They entered the long-term wing of the hospital, where they kept those patients who were either incurable or, as the name suggests, would be staying at the hospital for a very long time at the least. They stopped outside of the ward in question and Amelia told them to all to wait outside. She walked into the ward with two occupants, both of them in matching recliner beds and in hospital gowns. From the report, they had been found with multiple injuries of varying severity, but the healers had done their work and they looked completely healthy and injury-free.

The issue, however, was not the physical damage but the mental one. They were apparently no longer sane thanks to the extensive torture that they were put through. There was no doubt in Amelia's or anyone else's mind that one of the Unforgivable Curses, the Cruciatus, was involved in their torture.

Amelia studied the faces of the two patients, and for a brief moment a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes. She had been partnered with Alice Longbottom once, when Alice was a junior Auror. Amelia had been the Senior Auror assigned to show the rookie the ropes. The older witch had been impressed by the abilities of her junior partner and even more so with her sharp mind. In fact, a few of those successful cases with her helped to propel her own career and leading her to be Deputy Head of the department.

She had reminded Amelia of herself when she was at that age. That was a little over four years ago. Alice had since distinguished herself as one of the rising stars of the DMLE. Her husband had been the same. Driven, talented, and good-natured. It was natural for her to feel sad for their predicament, but she quickly let the feeling pass. She had work to do.

Still, she had wanted to make sure. Amelia approached Alice's bed. The two were staring idly up at the ceiling, their beds slightly raised but only enough to make sure their upper body was higher than their lower half. The movement caused Alice's eyes to shift over to the older witch.

Amelia relaxed a little and smiled. "Hi, Alice. It's me, Amelia."

Alice seemed to take a moment to process that information, then gave her a quizzical look. "A... Amelia?" The name was said without any familiarity, as if she was testing it out to see how it sounded with her own voice.

"Yes, Alice. Do you... remember me? We were partners about four years ago. You had just finished basic training."

"I... I don't know. I'm hungry." Alice tilted her head to the side, then looked away to stare at the wall. She stayed like that for some time, barely blinking and with Amelia watching the whole time.

The Deputy Head eventually frowned as she realized that Alice was no longer there mentally. It was true after all. The two of them could speak, sometimes, but for the most part the mentally damaged couple remained silent. When they did speak, it was usually when spoken to. They did not recognize anyone and they did not even know who they themselves were. When they did talk, they also often went on tangents and did not actively respond during a conversation.

"What did they do to you?" She whispered sadly.

Sighing, Amelia shook her head and then made her way out, taking one last wistful look back at the two incapacitated Aurors before stepping into the hallway. She flushed her emotions away and steeled herself.

"Has someone informed the Longbottom family?" She asked the Auror who had met them at the lobby and brought them there.

He shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. "No ma'am. Not yet."

Amelia clucked disapprovingly and then turned to one of her Senior Aurors. "You are now tasked with informing the Longbottoms of what happened. Do it now."

The Auror nodded and left, her steps light and fast.

"Now what of the Lady Potter incident?" Asked the Deputy Head, turning back to the Auror who was on guard duty at the hospital.

"Unsolvable, madam. The whole ward was blown to hell, nothing left to go off of. And the wand used for the attack was unregistered so we can't identify the magical signature of the assailant..."

Amelia shook her head in disappointment. She wished that the Ministry had better magical scanners so that they might identify magical signatures better. There had to be a way to identify magical signatures left by someone's aura rather than simply by someone's wand. She filed that away in her mind for a later discussion with the Head of the Department of Mysteries.

"I want to see for myself. Show me."

The Auror rubbed the back of his head, looking unsure. "But Madam Bones, they've already repaired the damage."

She stared at him.

"Right this way madam, if you would, please."

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England**

Sirius was back in the library, researching possible places to move to once he was officially granted guardianship of Harry. His current number one choice was to move to the United States of America. That was, after all, the most obvious choice. But he at least wanted to know what other options were available out there. He planned on asking a few friends for advice as well, though only after he was finished with his own due diligence.

What Kyuzo had disclosed to him the day before still lingered in his mind. It was hard not to think about it after all. He began to see the teen in a new light, realizing that even though he was a teenager he had been forced to grow up exponentially faster than the vast majority of his peers. He remembered his very first thought when James told him about their new butler was that he was too young for such an important position. He no longer held that same line of thinking.

Sirius had shared a few lighter stories of his own with the teen, mostly stories about the trouble he and James got into when they were in school, in the hopes that he could improve the young butler's mood. He never got Kyuzo to laugh, though the teen smiled a lot. The older man noticed that for the most part his smiles did not reach his eyes. Having relived his history the day before probably still weighed on his mind.

Back to the task at hand, he was reading an extensive travel guide on Brazil, which was an exciting place with a considerable magical population, but as he continued to read he did not think it was a good place to raise a child. It was a little too wild for Sirius' tastes, and he was sure James and Lily would agree with him on this one. He moved on to the next possible option: Australia.

-**xxxxxx**-

**St. Mungo's Hospital of Magical Injuries and Maladies****  
****London, England**

Amelia Bones inspected the ward, which was vacant. Unsurprisingly there was nothing she could glean from the room. It was, after all, rebuilt after it was completely destroyed so everything was new and for the most part unused and untouched. Even out in the hallway there was nothing she could see that the Aurors had not already gone over - even worse because it was two days after the incident the magical signatures in the hallway were even more mixed together than before.

Recalling the report on the matter, Amelia noted that the amount of effort and magic required to have done that much damage in one go was quite impressive. Not too many people could blast an entire room into smithereens without both training and talent. Only one blast was heard after all. And to have escaped without notice even after such a ruckus was equally impressive and indicative of the skill of the assailant.

She stepped out into the hallway, her mind churning. From the simple facts it was clear that someone was targeting the Potters. The Potter patriarch was killed during the attack on the World Cup, apparently by a close friend of his according to several eye-witnesses. One of those witnesses having been Lady Potter herself. Now this incident with the Lady Potter being killed in this explosion, it was very obvious the terrorist group wanted them dead.

But why?

-**xxxxxx**-

**Ministry of Magic****  
****London, England**  
_August 31, 1982_

Albus Dumbledore crossed his arms and began tapping his foot. To say he was annoyed and insulted would be an understatement. Here he was, the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Headmaster of what in his mind was the greatest school of magic in the world, Order of Merlin First Class recipient, and Grand Sorcerer, and yet he was being made to wait.

Not for any other reason than because Cornelius Fudge _could_ make him wait, that much Dumbledore was sure of.

He was not happy, and he was going to make Fudge know about it. The man did not seem to understand who he was dealing with here. Not to mention he failed to realize that without his support in the Wizengamot, Fudge wouldn't have even gotten the job. He would be sure to explain that to the new Minister as soon as he actually saw him.

The old wizard stroked his white beard. He had come to the Ministry to pay a visit to the new Minister who he had helped to elect. His plan was to make sure the Minister knew that he was responsible for Fudge's victory and that Dumbledore was there to support him and in return he would expect the Minister's support and through him the Ministry's as well with any business he might bring up in the future.

He also wanted to get a better gauge of the man, since they had only had fleeting encounters over the years.

He shot a look at the receptionist, who was trying very hard to ignore him. The door to the Minister's office finally opened at that point. The two Aurors flanking the doorway stood a little taller as the newly appointed Minister of Magic strolled out of his office.

Dumbledore got up, making sure to straighten his back so as to get the full measure of his height. He looked down at Fudge with barely concealed disappointment, his blue eyes ever twinkling.

For his part, Fudge looked very pleased with himself. That of course made Dumbledore all the angrier, though he was careful not to show it.

"Ah, so sorry Albus. I was busy with some important work." He was a smooth liar, apparently.

Dumbledore forced a smile. "No worries, Cornelius. I am sure you are very busy."

"Oh yes. It's quite tiresome being the Minister, but it's good work and I like it. Helping my country become great has been a lifelong dream of mine." He beckoned for Dumbledore to follow him as he walked back into his office. The Headmaster of Hogwarts shut the doors behind them as he walked in after the Minister.

The office was only slightly bigger than the Dumbledore's own office at Hogwarts. Although that might be because there was so much more stuff in his office than in Fudge's. Living for well over a hundred years, one collected a lot of things and Dumbledore had kept a sizable amount of trinkets, gadgets, books, and other things throughout his private quarters and his office that was connected to it.

"Why don't you sit down, Albus?" Fudge offered, waving at one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

They looked rather comfortable, but Dumbledore declined and said he preferred to stand up. Fudge bristled a little at that, apparently not liking the fact that his hospitable offer was rejected and that he was forced to look up at Dumbledore throughout their entire meeting.

Fudge sat in his chair and placed his arms out in front of him, elbows on the table and his fingers intertwined together. "So what can the Minister do for the great Albus Dumbledore today?" He asked a little condescendingly.

Dumbledore sighed inwardly. This was not going as planned and Fudge was not cooperating as expected.

The old wizard gave the man a cordial smile. "Well, Cornelius. I simply wanted to congratulate you on your new post as Minister, I was sure you would do well with the job and made sure that the rest of the Wizengamot was aware of that. We are all counting on you to help us get through this difficult time and emerge stronger than ever."

"Yes, yes. Thank you, Albus." The minister replied flippantly, much to Albus' further irritation. "Now is that all? I have things to do you know."

Dumbledore could not believe the arrogance and disrespect the man was showing. It had been many years since the last time anyone had done that to him, and that man did not walk out of that building intact.

"Oh, that's all I wanted to say Cornelius," he lied as he decided he needed to change how he was going to approach the Minister after this incident, "I should be going as well. The Start of Term is coming up and I should get back to readying for the arrival of the students." He waited for Fudge to come to him to bid him farewell.

Realizing this after a few seconds of silence and the expectant look on Dumbledore, he finally stood up. He looked very irritated himself as he walked around his table and shook Dumbledore's hand, rather loosely, having to stare up at his face again because he was much shorter. "Very well then. Good day to you, Albus."

The elder wizard turned and walked to the door. Before he closed it, Dumbledore stopped and turned to look at the Minister with a critical eye.

"Be careful with the politics, Cornelius. It's a dangerous game, and you're now playing on the grand stage where the stakes are much _higher_."

Fudge's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything Dumbledore had already closed the door and was gone.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Gringotts Wizarding Bank  
****London, England  
**_September 4, 1982_

It was a gray and rainy Saturday.

The reading of the Will of the late Lord James Potter was scheduled for five o'clock in the afternoon. All those included in the Will had been sent an invitation to attend. Only a few people were mentioned in the Will, however, so the function hall where Will readings usually took place would only be sparsely populated.

When Sirius Black arrived ten minutes to five and checked in at the lobby with one of the goblins on duty, he was led to one of the side passages and brought to the room where the reading would take place. He thanked the goblin who had brought him there and entered the room, which was of course magically warded by the goblins to prevent any eavesdroppers. There were a few other protective measures in place as well, Gringotts took client privacy and bank security very seriously.

The room was arranged much like a chapel or church, with rows and rows of seats on either side as the middle was cleared to make an aisle. All the way up front there was a raised portion of the room upon one side of which stood a lectern. The rest of the space there was empty since there was no need for anything to be there, especially for this event.

Sirius immediately took notice of the large man sitting in the back row on the left side of the room. In fact, the entire row was moved a few feet back from the second-to-last row to accommodate his unusually large size. It was none other than Rubeus Hagrid, half-giant and Gamekeeper at Hogwarts, who gave him a sad smile and a wave. Sirius returned it with a nod and a wave of his own as he walked past him.

A goblin stood behind the lectern, standing atop a stool to reach the lectern that was obviously crafted for human use. Sirius recognized him as Gru, the Potter Account Manager. The goblin nodded to him in greeting as he walked down the aisle towards the front, where a few people were sitting.

Sirius took note of the few people who were there. There was an old lady sitting in the third row on the right, who he recognized to be Augusta Longbottom, the mother of Fred and Alice. In the second row in front of her sat Hogwarts Transfigurations Professor, Minerva McGonagall. She was wearing an all-purple outfit with varying shades of the color.

Next to her was the Headmaster himself, Albus Dumbledore, and he in turn was wearing varying shades of blue. Though his was far more eye-catching due to the extreme ranges of blue that his outfit had. He was surprised that Dumbledore was even there, given that while he and James had been cordial there was little to suggest that they were close enough for him to be included in the Will. Whatever his reasons for being there, Sirius figured he'd find out soon enough.

On the left side of the room, sitting in the second row, was a man who Sirius had never seen before. He was dressed in muggle clothing as he had on a cotton plain gray shirt that seemed a size too small as his sizable muscles were bulging out of it. The rest of his outfit consisted of fighting gloves on each hand, a pair of cargo pants and brown boots that looked rather heavy.

Looking up front, Sirius noted that Remus was already there. He was the only one sitting right up front, and he stood up slowly to greet his friend when he noticed him walking over. He looked tired and pale and at first Sirius was alarmed before he realized that the night before had been a full moon. He was therefore surprised to see his remaining best friend there.

"Sirius," greeted the young professor as he clasped his friend's hand. His voice was soft and it was clear that it took some effort to speak.

"Remus, what the devil are you doing here? You're not in any state to be moving around the day after... you know." He whispered fiercely to the professor, eyes darting about to see if anyone had heard. If they had, no one let on that they did.

He smiled weakly. "I'll be fine." He proceeded to sit down again, with Sirius taking a seat right next to him.

Looking up, Sirius noted that there was a clock on the far wall, above the raised area. As the clock struck five o'clock exactly, the goblin at the lectern cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Good after noon, ladies and gentlemen. Today is the reading of the Last Will and Testament of Lord James Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. Those of you in this room are explicitly mentioned in the Will," stated Gru as he looked at each person present, "Except for one." His eyes rested on Dumbledore, who looked back with a neutral expression.

"The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, who is not mentioned in the Will, is here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. According to the law, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot or someone who he or she appoints must be present at all Will readings that concern the major noble families," Gru explained.

That answered the question of why Dumbledore was present. Sirius glanced quickly at the old wizard, who showed no reaction to the explanation of his presence.

"Please maintain order while the Will is being read, any disturbances will be dealt with appropriately." The goblin then looked down at something he had on the lectern. "As per usual, the voice of the drafter of the Will is going to read it. Without any further ado, we shall begin." Gru held out his hand a little in front of him and made a twisting motion, fingers wide. There was a brief glow and then a rolled up piece of parchment that had been resting on the lectern flew up into the air and positioned itself in the middle of the raised area, which was to the left of the lectern.

It was glowing a golden hue. The seal on the Will was broken and then the parchment unraveled itself. Sirius noted that it was shorter than average, though he was not surprised. While the Potters were always good people and had many friends, they could count the number of close friends they had with their hands.

Sirius steeled himself as he prepared to hear his dead best friend's voice. Sure enough, he felt a shock at hearing his voice but it quickly subsided.

_This is the Last Will and Testament of Lord James Potter, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. I am writing this of my own volition and verify that I am of sound mind and body. If this is being read, I can only hope that my wife and son are okay, along with my best friends Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sorry to have passed on guys. Hopefully I left this world in a blaze of glory like I always wanted. _

_Anyway, I want to keep this short and sweet. I've been to a few Will readings that seemed more like story readings or essay readings. I won't try and bore you or keep you here longer than necessary. I am gone from this world after all, and in writing this I realize now how precious time really is to all of us._

_On that note, let's get right down to it. First things first, I would like to be buried at the cemetery of Godric's Hollow, where most of my ancestors are interred. The Potter Tomb is located there. My wife should also be placed next to me, should that day ever come. I leave my butler, Kyuzo, to organize the affair. He has proven to be quite useful and skilled, and he would do a fine job of it I am sure._

_With that said, let's get to the good part. As Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, the second oldest currently active family in Magical Britain, I am quite wealthy. I will not disclose exactly how wealthy to all of you, but I will admit that it is a sizable amount. Now, I have a few things that I'd like to bequeath to my friends and my family. Let's start with my friends and then end with the family._

_To Mister Sirius Black, my best friend who is like a brother to me, I honestly was not sure what to give you. You are wealthy enough on your own as part of the Black Family, so money and trinkets were out of the question. We've been through a lot together and after much thought I decided that one thing that you might find interesting and exciting was a pet. But not just any ordinary pet - this was gifted to me by particularly happy client of one of the family businesses. Sirius Black is to receive one baby Hippogriff, which is named Buckbeak. Sorry Hagrid, I know you were interested in having him but Hogwarts already has an entire herd that you take care of already. Hope you enjoy it Sirius! And try not to kill this one, or more importantly, try not to get killed by it._

The gray-eyed wizard could not help but shake his head and smile. A Hippogriff was a strange gift, but his friend was right. It did interest him to have one as a pet, though he knew little about the beasts. He would have to learn about them more later, perhaps starting by asking Hagrid. He was the expert on magical creature among the people he knew. Sirius found himself looking forward to taking care of this Buckbeak.

_Next is Professor Remus John Lupin. I still can't believe you're back at Hogwarts teaching, though I guess I should have seen that one coming. Lily always knew apparently, but then again she was much smarter and far more perceptive than I. Anyway, I actually have two gifts for you. One is that I bequeath the sum of 1,000,000 galleons to Mr. Lupin. Now don't complain, Remus! You have to accept this gift. Go buy yourself some better clothes! Maybe even switch it up and buy something you want for a change instead of buying things you simply need. And rest easy knowing that you won't have any monetary troubles for a long while, unless you decide to splurge on some extravagant items of course. Which I doubt you will, but hey people can change... okay, where was I?_

Remus chuckled at that, though that did not last long as he winced in obvious discomfort and a little pain.

_"The second thing that I would like to gift you is a certain house in the town of Hogsmeade that you, Sirius, and I are most familiar with. Yes, you got that right, I am bequeathing to Professor Remus Lupin the deed to the property of what is commonly referred to by both students, staff, and Hogsmeade residents as the Shrieking Shack. I'm sure you'll put it to good use, my friend. You're welcome."_

At that Remus sucked in a quick breath of surprise.

Sirius smiled at the generosity and thoughtfulness of his late friend. He could picture perfectly in his mind James smiling and winking knowingly at the two of them. That gift would prove most useful for times like last night, instead of being locked away in the dungeons of the castle. He knew that Remus was already planning what to buy with the sizable sum that James had left for him.

_"Let's see, who's next? The Longbottoms! Frank and Alice, hopefully you're still alive. But if not, then I bequeath to your son Neville Longbottom, my godson, the amount of 500,000 galleons. I know you don't need money, but I felt it was right to give you even a small fraction of the profits in the venture that you suggested I start. You should have partnered with me when I asked! It has proven to be a most lucrative business. Also, I leave you with a copy of the entire set of Valentius' Battle Manuals. I'm sure that'll come in handy for the two best Aurors I know."_

Sirius looked over to Augusta, who was no doubt here to represent Fred and Alice. She was very put together, though her eyes were a little moist.

_To Professor Minerva McGonagall, my former Head of House and my favorite professor. I'm sorry I missed your class often during my Seventh year because I was causing mischief all over the castle, but I do admit that I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. That said, you were not only my favorite but I considered you to be the best professor at Hogwarts, with Professor Flitwick a close second. Anyway, I leave you with the sum of 100,000 galleons and a copy of Serena Dantius' Travels with Transfiguration._

McGonagall gasped at that. The book was extremely rare, with only a handful of copies in the world that were still in complete and excellent condition. Serena Dantius was one of the premier minds in the study and practice of Transfiguration over two centuries ago.

_To my good friend from America, Jarred Rodgers. Thank you for everything and I hope that you will consider my request even after I am gone. I leave you with the amount of 100,000 galleons. I'm sure you can find a use for the money."_

James was referring to the stranger who sat in the row behind Sirius and Remus. The name sounded familiar to Sirius, though he was sure he had never met the man. He figured that he must have overheard James or Lily talking about him. Or maybe James or Lily had actually talked to him about Jarred. He was not sure.

_To a man who is larger than life and with a big heart, I leave Mister Rubeus Hagrid with the sum of 100,000 galleons and two open tickets to any National Dragon Show in Romania. I know you've always wanted to go there and to see some of those dragons up close. This is my way of thanking you for being a great friend._

_Lastly, to my family I bequeath the remainder of my wealth, with Lady Lily Potter being the controller of said wealth until my son, Harry James Potter, comes of age. However, in the event that Lily has passed or does pass and thusly we are both no longer among the living, then several things must come to pass:_

_Firstly, I leave all of my wealth to my son Harry James Potter with some exceptions. The first being that, until Harry turns seventeen years old, he will only have access to 1% of the family wealth. That should be enough to cover educational expenses as well as anything else he might want. I also leave another 1% to be handled by the family butler, Kyuzo Hiyachi, who is instructed to use this as part portfolio and part funding for whatever he needs as well as whatever my son might need that might exceed the 1% already allotted to him. Further financial matters, in the event that the funds are not enough, are detailed in a separate document that I have entrusted with Account Manager Gru._

_Secondly, I appoint Mister Sirius Black, godfather of Harry, to be his legal guardian until he comes of age. He is to be put in charge of 2% of liquid family wealth to be done with as he sees fit to take care of my son and is to use those funds for only that purpose, subject to Gru's oversight in that regard as my trusted Account Manager. Should anything happen to Mister Sirius Black so as to render him incapable of fulfilling this duty, then I appoint Professor Remus Lupin to the guardianship. Failing that, then I appoint Lord Frank Longbottom as guardian. Next in line would be Professor Minerva McGonagall. If all else fails, I wish to place my son up for temporary adoption until he comes of age, with the placement being handled by Fertucci Families._

_Thirdly, the contents of my personal vault are to be sealed until my son comes of age. After which, Gru will follow the instructions I have left him with in this matter. These instructions will be opened upon the 17th birthday of my son, Harry._

_Fourthly, as per the request of Lily and I happen to agree with her, Harry must be raised in both a muggle and magical environment. I also ask that muggle and magical education be a part of his upbringing. Whatever is necessary to do this must be done. I would like to reiterate that failure to follow stipulations of a Will are subject to severe consequences under law._

_Fifthly, I have some documents I wrote to the guardian of my son. Several different variations were made, depending on who is guardian. Gru has these documents and is instructed to deliver the right one to the appropriate recipient. Thank you for all your hard work, Gru, and it was a pleasure to work with you._

_That about finishes it. I appreciate you all suffering through this last message from a dead man, but I hope you enjoyed the gifts I left for you all. Thank you all for the wonderful memories, and try not shed too many tears for me. I'd rather be remembered with laughter and happiness than tears and sadness. _

_Take care all of you, and may you have many more days to come!_

_Sincerely,  
Lord James "Prongs" Potter_

With that the parchment rolled back up and floated over to the lectern, stopping a few feet over it. Then the golden glow around it disappeared and the Will dropped right into the waiting hand of the goblin account manager. The reading was finally over.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Thank you again for continuing to read! I really want to finish this story, since I have most of it outlined already unlike some of my other current fics - not that I won't finish those other ones! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're getting to the Harry parts soon enough - please be a little more patient.

Quick note: Aurors in this fic are general "police" and not the "elite" wizards and witches that canon has them being. This explains why there are many more Aurors than there normally are. Hit-Wizards will be used in this fic - _these _are the "elite" combat/law enforcement units of the Ministry.

Also, in terms of time: Every time a new date is introduced in the section header, every section after that is under that same day and calendar date until the date changes with a new date being introduced in the next section's header.

REVIEW! :) You know you want to. And there are a number of people who have subscribed or favorited already - I'd love to hear what you think.

****EDITED 11/19/12: forgot to add Hagrid's part in the will... whoops! And I changed a word that I had gotten wrong. Thanks to blackshadow111 for pointing that out.****


	5. Rest in Peace

**The Price of Change**

Rest in Peace

* * *

**Gringotts Wizarding Bank  
****London, England  
**_September 4, 1982_

Sirius and Remus soon found themselves in Gru's office after the will reading. They sat down in front of the goblin's desk as the goblin himself waddled around and hopped up onto his own raised seat behind it. Gru then opened one of the drawers of the desk and took out some envelopes, putting on his spectacles and carefully going through them before settling on one of them. Gru looked at them both before settling his gaze upon Sirius. With a wave of his hand the envelope floated across the space between them and Sirius snatched it out of the air.

"That, Master Black, is the letter written to you by the former Lord Potter in the event of his and the Lady Potter's death and your appointment as guardian of his son, the sole heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter." explained the goblin. "Please open it and read it. I have been instructed to make sure that you have not only received this letter but have read it in its entirety and understand its contents."

Sirius gave a nod of understanding to the goblin before staring down at the letter he held in his hands, wondering what James had to say to him. His nickname, _Padfoot_, known only by their close circle of friends, was scribbled on the front of the envelope in James' somewhat sloppy handwriting. He peered over at Remus, who simply gave a brief nod of assurance, his face still ashen and tired and his eyes betraying his exhaustion.

Flipping the envelope over, he broke the seal and took out the letter. It was a page long and written in the unmistakable handwriting of James. Taking a deep breath, he began to read it.

_Dear Sirius,_

___If you are reading this then my Last Will and Testament has been read and executed and you should already understand what both Lily and I expect from you. It is our hope that you will accept this responsibility and honor our memory through raising our only son as if he was your own. We trust you, Sirius, and with Remus and Peter there to help you it should hopefully prove not too difficult a task. We hope that you will accept this responsibility wholeheartedly._

_Sorry to leave you with all of this responsibility, but Lily and I agreed that you were our best option. Peter was out of the question, naturally. Remus, of course, has his condition and we thought it would not be appropriate to assign him the guardianship. This is compounded by the fact that Werewolves have very little rights, and even if we had assigned him guardianship the Ministry could have stepped in and revoked it due to his condition. Then there would be an even bigger mess. Leaving him up for adoption was the farthest thing from our minds, since giving him up to a stranger was absolutely not acceptable unless there really was no other alternative. So it is now up to you to handle the upbringing of our beloved son._

_Anyway, enough of that, I really only have a few things to say to you regarding all of this._

_With the state of education and society in magical Britain, we were planning on raising Harry overseas in the United States of America. We already have several properties there, including the Potter Mansion in the state of New York. This is where we intended to live until Harry's 11th birthday, at which point we had hoped to send him to Hogwarts so that he might experience the same things we did when we were studying there. Kyuzo and the House Elves should already be aware of these properties and can fill you in on the details._

_Make sure he learns about his heritage and his people while also being open to the modern muggle world. Tell him about his parents, Sirius. Of how much we love him. That we never meant for any of this to come to pass. Tell him that we will continue to watch over him and all of you from the other side. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We know that you'll do a fine job._

_With all our love,_

_James & Lily_

_PS. I hope he becomes an exceptional Quidditch player like me! ha! - James_

_PPS. Try to stay out of trouble, please? - Lily_

Sirius' eyes were wet with tears as he finished reading, folding up the letter and smiling sadly at his good friends' last words.

Gru spoke up then, noticing that he was done reading. "Well, Master Black and Master Lupin, my task here is done. The Will has been read and executed, and I have observed the reading of the guardianship letter as stipulated to me by the late Lord Potter." In his hands were some papers, which he again floated over to Sirius. "Those are the official guardianship papers. If you could please sign at the bottom of each page, indicating that you have read and agree to the guardianship, we can wrap this up."

A quill danced through the air, Sirius catching it and signing as instructed. The papers glowed and then floated back over to the goblin, along with the quill, and he gave it a once over to make sure everything was in order. Satisfied, he waved a hand over the papers and a copy of each suddenly materialized in the air over his hand. He proceeded to float the copy over to Sirius.

"That, sir, is your copy of the guardianship papers. Keep those safe, though you may always come by and get another copy from us here. We shall keep the original safe, and we will be sending a copy to the Ministry of Magic as the law requires." Gru paused. "Now do you have any questions?"

Sirius thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Gru. I understand my responsibilities. Thank you for your good work here." With that the black-haired wizard stood up and walked closer to shake the goblin's hand. Gru raised an eyebrow before giving a nod and accepting the handshake.

"A pleasure, Master Black," he looked over at Remus as he bowed to each of them, "Master Lupin."

Remus stood with visible effort and gave a slight bow of his head in return, too weak to say anything back.

Sirius and Remus left the office then and as they walked out of Gringotts, Remus bade Sirius farewell stating that he needed to rest more.

"Take care, Remus. I'll see you soon?" said Sirius as he gripped the werewolf's shoulder in a supportive gesture for the weakened lycanthrope.

Remus gave him a weak smile, gripping his friend's outstretched arm with his own hand. "I'll be over as soon as I'm feeling better."

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England**_  
_

Upon getting back to the Potter Estate, Sirius found Kyuzo playing with Harry. He watched the two-year-old Harry James Potter crawl around one of the big salons of the mansion, the little guy making nonsensical but excited sounds as he chased one of his toys that Kyuzo had magically animated and controlled. The toy, an action-figure of some sort that Sirius did not recognize, suddenly flew into the air and caused the toddler to sit on his bum and reach out into the air to try and grab it as it flew around him.

Harry's appointed guardian looked over at the young butler, who had a small smile on his face as he continued to control the toy, much to Harry's continued amusement.

"Hey Kyuzo," Sirius said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yes, sir?" replied the butler, still looking at and controlling the toy.

"You know about the Potter Mansion in America."

The young man nodded. "They've had it for a while, but it was only recently renovated and expanded. I believe Lord and Lady Potter were planning on moving there soon."

Sirius leaned against the wall, raising one leg and bending it at the knee while his raised foot rested on the wall as well. He leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "Yes, you're right about that. That's what they wanted," he paused, "And that's what we'll do."

Kyuzo finally looked over at the man with the long, curly black hair. "When, sir?"

"By the end of the week," replied the Potter guardian. "Are there a lot of things we'll need to bring for Harry from here?"

The teenager shook his head. "Not really, sir. The Potter Mansion in America has much of what young master Harry here would need."

"Are there House Elves over there already?"

Kyuzo thought for a moment. "I believe there are two House Elves at the Potter Mansion, sir. If you wish, I will contact them to make ready for our arrival."

"Do it." Sirius glanced at Harry, who had managed to grab the toy out of the air because of how slow it was moving thanks to the young butler being distracted. "After playtime is over," he added.

The butler bowed his head. "Yes, sir."

-**xxxxxx**-

Sirius lay face up on one of the beds in one of the guest rooms of the mansion, staring at the ceiling. He could not sleep, his mind restless as it thought about what had happened and what the future held for him. He still could not find it in himself to believe that his best friend, James Potter, along with his lovely wife, Lily Potter, were gone from this world. Such a tragedy was too much to accept, and yet it had to be because it was true.

He rolled over, his eyes wide open as he stared out through one of the windows in the room into the starry night.

Could he really raise a child? Sirius Black the Third? He was only 23 years old and yet he was now responsible for the life of another human being. Not only that, but this human being happened to be the sole child of two of his closest friends, which made the pressure he felt even worse.

Admittedly, he was never the most responsible person of their circle of friends. He was often the goofball, along with James, who got into trouble and tried to have as much fun as possible. He often disregarded the rules, deciding to forge his own path irregardless of how it affected other people as long as he was entertained and his actions served him well.

To be entrusted with the enormous responsibility of raising a child was surprising, but the fact that it happened on the heels of the tragedies of the deaths of the two close friends of his made it even worse. He felt unsure of himself and of his ability to carry out the responsibilities entrusted upon him by those who he held dear and who had passed away. Could he really live up to the expectations that they had placed on him?

Those thoughts continued to plague him well into the night as he lay there, restless in both mind and body, tossing and turning as he tried to find answers to the questions that his doubts demanded of him. Questions of adequacy and capability that he could not answer.

Even with all of that doubt eating away at him, he knew that they had chosen him for a reason. They had placed his name as number one on the list of guardians, should the unlikely event of their deaths come about before they were able to properly raise Harry. And unfortunately, that had occurred, and now Sirius found himself the sole legal guardian of the offspring of two of the closest friends he had ever had in his life.

He needed to validate their choice and to assure them that they had picked correctly. He needed to prove to them that their trust was not misplaced and that Harry's upbringing was safely in his hands. Still, he could not fend off the doubts that continued to attack his confidence and his will. Could he really do this? Could he be trusted to raise a child? He, Sirius Black, wealthy playboy and prankster who never took life seriously?

-**xxxxxx**-

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
****Somewhere in Scotland  
**_September 6, 1982_

Remus Lupin, current Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was continuing with his lecture when the bell tolled across the castle, indicating the end of the class period. His students began to pack their things as he continued to speak.

"Remember, I want three feet of parchment on the differences between curses, jinxes, and hexes! Have a good day." The class grumbled about it and he could not help but smile as he recalled doing much of the same when he was in their shoes.

Thinking back to when he was a student reminded him of the tragedy that had befallen two of his childhood best friends, and his smile quickly faded as he too packed his things up. The classroom was empty by the time he strode out of it himself, navigating through the halls of the Hogwarts castle as he headed for his quarters in the professor's wing.

His quarters in the castle were quite spacious, with a small living room area connected to an open kitchen and dining space on one side. On the side opposite of the kitchen and dining area was a small and short hallway at the end of which were three doors. One door at the end of the hall went straight into the sizable full bathroom, complete with a separate bathtub and a shower. Facing that door at the end, one can see to the left a door that led into the bedroom and to the right, across the hall from the bedroom, a door that led into a small study.

Remus had honestly never imagined himself being a professor at Hogwarts while he studied there as a student, especially at so young an age. After placing his things away in his study and changing into some more comfortable clothes, he started a fire in the fireplace that was located along one wall of the living room. Pouring himself a glass of some Firewhiskey, the young professor sat down in front of the quickly roaring fire.

He usually did not drink alcohol, particularly during the workweek, but with what had happened recently he found the circumstances to warrant some extra drinking. Everything that had happened weighed heavily on his mind: The deaths of his closest friends; the betrayal of another close friend; the reading of the Will; and the fact that it was now up to Sirius and himself to raise the son of his deceased closest friends.

The business that entailed teaching at Hogwarts had allowed him a way to escape from thinking about the situation too much, but sometimes he could not help but worry and ponder over it. He still had no idea why Peter Pettigrew, someone they had all grown up with and who had been a part of their inner circle of friends, would outright kill James like that. Sure, he could understand that perhaps there was some jealousy there - it was hard not to be jealous, even a little bit, of James Potter, Lord of the second-oldest still-active magical family in Britain who was an amazing athlete and a genuine ladies' man. Not to mention the fact that he married the beautiful and intelligent Lily Evans, considered to be the brightest witch of their generation, it was easy to chalk it up to simple jealousy.

But there was more to it than that, Remus was sure. The coincidence that this happened during the terrorist attack that unfolded during the Quidditch World Cup was too great to ignore; the murder of James and the attack had to be connected. That meant that Peter was working for whatever terrorist organization was responsible for the attack, and that also meant that there was a specific goal to kill him. To what purpose, Remus could only speculate.

No doubt it had something to do with the political influence the Potters held, and considering what happened to the Longbottoms, who happened to be staunch allies of the Potters, it was easy to see that there definitely was some political agenda involved. Any number of politicians and families stood to gain from the demise of both those great families, however, so it was difficult to pinpoint who might be involved. That frustrated Remus to no end as he raised his glass to his lips.

He took a long swig of the Firewhiskey, sighing as he placed the empty glass down on the side table next to the comfortable armchair that he sat on. His eyes never left the blazing fire as he continued to mull over the recent events.

Then what happened with Lily further cemented the idea that there was a definite hit placed on the Potters. So shocked were they with the death of James as well as the overall events at the World Cup in general that they did not even think straight on the matter. How could they have been so stupid? They should have known that there might be an attempt on Lily's life since she was, after all, Lady Potter. Stupid. So very stupid.

Now, not only did Harry not have a father but neither did he have a mother, and that was all thanks to their failure to realize the danger she was still in even after the attack at the World Cup. He sighed, picking up the glass again and draining the rest of the alcohol from it. The sound of ice shaking around echoed along with the crackling of the fire as he shook the empty glass, which had only ice left in it.

Glancing over to the clock on the wall, he realized that he was supposed to drop by the Potter Estate to check on Harry and Sirius, who was now staying over there as guardian of the young Potter. He got up and walked out, making sure to lock the door physically as well as magically before he left.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England**

"So when is the funeral?" asked Remus, having arrived about twenty minutes ago.

The salon they were in had a large fireplace, three times as big as the one Remus had in his quarters at Hogwarts, and an even bigger fire blazed. That also served to be the only light in the room, the light from the fire casting long and flickering shadows every which way. Kyuzo had retired for the night after Sirius told him that he would take care of Harry for the moment.

The toddler in question was fast asleep on one of the couches nearby, his tiny body about as big as the giant, fluffy pillows he now rested upon.

Sirius stirred from his watch over Harry, glancing over to his remaining best friend. "Kyuzo said that the arrangements were made for a funeral two days from now. On the 8th of September."

"It'll be two weeks then..." Remus commented, trailing off.

"Huh?" grunted Sirius, not understanding at first.

"Wednesday. That'll be two weeks since James..." again the young professor trailed off, unable to say it. This time, Sirius understood what his friend was getting at.

Sirius's eyes looked over to the fire, watching the dancing flames. "I don't know if I can do this, Remus." he suddenly blurted out, the doubt within him too great to contain. It had been gnawing at him ever since he had gotten back from Gringotts. Raising a child was so much more daunting than raising a baby hippogriff, which was housed in the enormous barn on the grounds of the Potter Estate at the moment.

Remus took his time to reply, understanding that what he said next was very important. "Sirius," he started to say, "You are a good man, a good friend. I believe in you, and more importantly James and Lily believed in you. They believed that you could raise their son, their pride and joy and the one thing they valued above all else in this world. They entrusted you with this responsibility because they not only believed you were capable, but they knew you would do a fine job. Don't start doubting yourself now."

Sirius was silent for a while as the words sunk in.

"So I guess I have to be the responsible adult now, huh? No more womanizing and partying?" he said, half-jokingly.

Remus grinned a little. "Well, you don't have to be all the time... we are still in our early twenties after all. Besides, you're not alone in this. I'm here to help you out when you need it."

Looking at his friend, Sirius smirked. "You're right. I can be the fun and entertaining adult and you can be the boring and serious one! Thanks so much, Moony."

The werewolf mock glared at him, shaking his head. "No way! _You're_ the official guardian, Padfoot. I'm the fun-loving and entertaining uncle who visits every now and again to rescue him from your boring clutches."

Sirius continued to smirk, his eyes alighting as he forgot about the doubts that had plagued him recently, lifted by the words of his remaining best friend. "We'll see about that." His expression turned serious. "In all seriousness-" he glared at Remus who choked back a quick laugh at his words, "Thanks for the support."

-**xxxxxx**-

**Godric's Hollow, England**  
_September 8, 1982_

The service was relatively small, consisting of the closest friends of the Potters. All of them wore black, standing before the entrance to the Potter Family tomb, where the remains of all the Potter ancestors were interred. Even the weather reflected the somber mood of the small crowd gathered in the cemetery of the town of Godric's Hollow, as gray clouds stretched out to the horizon in all directions.

There was Sirius, who stood closest to the tomb, with Remus standing next to him. Right behind them both was Kyuzo, who held a dozing little Harry in his hands. The remaining people gathered there were Rubeus Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Amelia Bones, the Weasley Family, the Diggory family, the Lovegoods, Augusta Longbottom, Filius Flitwick, and a representative from the goblins.

The casket was brought in by four pallbearers who were Aurors on loan from the Ministry. As they marched through the gathered throng, everyone bowed their heads in respect for the fallen. The casket was placed in front of the tomb and each person was given some time to spend next to it, saying their final words to the body of James Potter and, in spirit, Lily Potter before they were to join their ancestors in the tomb.

Sirius was last, which was his plan all along. Stepping up next to the steel casket, he gazed at it as if he could see right through to James' unmoving body. He clasped his hands together behind his back.

"I wish things had turned out differently," he whispered, "I wish that you and Lily were still here... but know that I will not let you down, James. I'll take care of your boy, and make sure that he becomes the Potter you two would be proud of." He paused, a single tear escaping his right eye and rolling down his cheek. He clenched his fists tightly, "If I get a chance to avenge your deaths, I promise you that I will." His mind turned to the betrayal of their once close friend Peter. "I will make sure that those responsible will pay dearly. On my life, I promise this."

He reached up and wiped away the tear that had escaped his eye. "Rest in peace, my friends."

* * *

**Author's notes: **Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this fic either! :)


	6. On a Jetplane

**The Price of Change**

On a Jetplane

* * *

**Black Family Estate, England**  
_September 8, 1982_

Sirius, not wanting to spend any more time than absolutely necessary at Godric's Hollow, immediately returned to the Black Family Estate after the funeral, a sprawling expanse of land tucked away deep within a thick forest and surrounded by all manner of enchantments and wards.

The mansion itself was at the very heart of the forest, a three acre large clearing that consisted of the mansion, the well-kept grounds, and a pond complete with a dock and a small boat that never got used. The mansion was grand and ancient, made of old stones and dark, thick woods that have stood through many generations of Blacks.

At the edge of the property, the enormous trees older than the mansion itself stretched and twisted up high into the sky, far taller than even the massive three-story mansion that the Blacks called their home. What was peculiar about these trees however was that the ones closest to the mansion were dark, as if stained by soot and ash. No living member of the Black family could recall why those trees were darkened.

Even with the wide clearing the air was heavy and unmoving, though whether it was because of the forest surrounding the place and blocking the wind or some magic that stilled the moving airs, Sirius didn't really know. Add to all that the fog that seemed to permanently blanket the surrounding forest and it was a rather eerie and dark place to have a home; that was just the way the Blacks liked it, or at least most of them.

Sirius, as soon as he was old enough, spent as much time as he could away from it. He hated the dark halls and cold stones of the mansion, which had a regal dungeon-esque interior; the stifling, heavy air that clung to his skin with a staleness that was almost unnatural; and most of all, the deplorable people he had to call family. He simply could not really stand to be there longer than absolutely necessary. That often meant staying over at the Potter's or any of the other Marauders, his best friends. Or, sometimes, that meant going to Grimmauld place, which was only slightly better than the Estate.

Of course, not all was bad with the family. His brother, Regulus, was actually half-decent; half, because he still held many of the prejudices and ideals that the Blacks were notorious for, but at the same time he was not as severe _and_ he had some semblance of a conscience, something the rest of his family lacked. He could not count the number of times his parents had scolded him or expressed their disappointment in him for not following the Black way, and when the patriarch of the family died three years ago his mother made sure to remind him of how his father thought of him as a failure.

That all but reaffirmed his decision to break from family history and tradition. He wanted to chart his own path instead of tracing the dark footsteps of his kin.

The black suitcase with silver accents had the Black Family crest on it, beneath which was engraved in fine silvery lettering "SBIII", and at the moment Sirius was throwing his clothes and anything else he needed for his extended voyage into it. He did not keep much in his room at the mansion, mostly clothes, many of which he realized he had rarely if ever actually worn, but he threw them in the ever-expanding suitcase all the same.

"I'm guessing you won't be coming back then, brother?" A familiar voice from the doorway made him stop packing, though he did not turn around to look at the speaker.

"Not for a while, I'm afraid," he replied neutrally, staring into the near emptiness of his sizable closet.

"Hmm," the voice contemplated, "If I had to guess, This has something to do with that Potter boy, doesn't it?"

Sirius remained silent.

A light chuckle emanated from the doorway. "Oh, don't worry, I won't tell mother. Not that she'd care anyway, but it would save me the trouble of having to listen to her drone on for a few days about how much of a disgrace you are to the family name. _If_ she asks though..."

"Tell her whatever you want, Regulus. The truth. A lie. It doesn't matter," came the reply from the older brother who stood stiffly in front of his open closet.

Regulus sighed, as if suddenly tired. "Take care of yourself, Sirius. There are dark times ahead. _Very_ dark."

Before Sirius finally turned around to ask what he meant by that, the younger Black was no longer in the doorway, his footsteps barely discernible as he walked away down the hall.

Within another ten minutes he had everything he needed packed, somewhat haphazardly, into the magical black suitcase; he would sort it out later with magic once he unpacked. Taking one last look around to make sure he did not forget anything he wanted to bring, since he truly did not expect to be back for a long time, if at all, he hefted the suitcase with his left hand and proceeded to head downstairs.

A house elf suddenly popped into existence right next to him as he reached the first floor, but he walked right past it as it bowed low in its worn black pillowcase with the Black Family crest emblazoned on it.

"Master Sirius, sir! Excuse me, sir!" called the house elf as it tried to get his attention, scurrying after the young man.

Sirius spared a glance at the house elf as he neared the front door. "What is it, Bludger?"

"A delivery, sir! For you. It just arrived, sir," replied the house elf quickly, sensing the urgency in Sirius' tone and actions.

That made the young Black stop for once and turn slightly to face the small house elf, with his large black eyes and dry, wrinkled, and grayish skin. Half of his left ear was missing, though his right ear was complete and pointy like a normal house elf.

"What delivery...?" He could not recall having ordered anything so he was rather confused by the what the house elf was saying.

"It is a hippogriff, sir! And a rather nasty one too, if this one may say. He was most difficult to handle, but is now in one of the stables." Bludger did not meet his Sirius' eyes, having been taught never to do so by the older members of the Black family. It was not wise to look up to his superiors in such a manner after all.

"Ah." He remembered now. James had left him a hippogriff and he had completely forgotten about the beast. He chuckled briefly before saying, "Thank you for letting me know, Bludger. Now please bring the hippogriff over to the Potter Estate and tell them to secure it. Immediately. And watch out for its beak."

"Of course, Master Sirius, sir!" with that the little elf popped away, leaving Sirius alone in the entrance hall.

Reaching the front door, he grasped the old and ornate silver doorknob with his free hand. He swung the heavy door open and was about to step outside when he halted in his tracks because someone stood on the doorstep, blocking his path.

"Headmaster!" Sirius said with a start, taking a step back in surprise.

"Ah, young Mister Black, I was hoping I might find you here. You left quite abruptly after the funeral, I had been meaning to speak with you," said one Albus Dumbledore in a sky blue and purple robe that went all the way down to his feet with a gray cloak wrapped over it, his twinkling blue eyes darting for a brief moment at the suitcase before resettling his gaze upon the young man who held it firmly in his grasp. "Ah, going somewhere?"

"No... well, yes, headmaster," he replied quickly, still unsure of what the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was doing at his doorstep. Well, at the Black Family doorstep, actually. He did not consider this place to be his own.

"Where to, if I may ask?" the headmaster looked at him with a trace of curiosity.

"Overseas," was all Sirius responded with, his left hand gripping his suitcase tighter. The less people that knew of where he, and by extension Harry, was going to be, the better. At least until he could get properly settled and Harry got older. Even though he trusted Dumbledore, a veritable living legend and hero, he did not trust him as much as he used to. Then again, he did not trust anyone as much as he used to since Peter's betrayal.

"I see." Dumbledore tucked his hands behind him. "And for how long...?"

The young man looked to the side and shrugged, "A few years, maybe. Need to get away from England for a time."

There was a long silence, made more awkward by Sirius shuffling outside and closing the door behind him so that they both stood outside on the doorstep, the movement causing Dumbledore to take one step aside.

"I'm sorry, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Sirius asked, wanting to leave already as the stagnant air outside began to press down on him, or at least it felt that way to him.

"Ah, yes. Forgive me, I seemed to have gotten lost in my thoughts." Dumbledore apologetically bowed his head a little. "I simply wished to ask what you plan for young Harry Potter, particularly when it comes to his future, his education," replied the elder wizard, "I do hope that you will be enrolling him at Hogwarts when he gets his letter."

"I will consider it, definitely, although that's something far off into the future," replied Sirius, confused that Dumbledore would want to talk about this right now. He was indeed going to consider it, but he was ultimately going to let Harry decide. It was _his _education after all, _and_ it would be _his_ money paying for it to boot. Though he would be sure to put in a good word about Hogwarts, having studied there after all. He would not hold it against the young boy if he were to decide to study elsewhere though.

A flicker of emotion passed through Dumbledore's face, so brief that Sirius had almost missed it, and afterwards he wondered if he had even really seen it or simply imagined it. Was it displeasure? Was Dumbledore expecting a different answer? He was not sure, Dumbledore's face having returned to the gentle and slightly bemused look that he usually had.

"Good, good. Well, I shan't keep you any longer. It appears you have places to be," said the old wizard, "I wish you a safe and enjoyable journey." With that the tall, white-haired wizard began to walk away.

Sirius headed for his motorcycle, parked off to the side of the driveway circle in front of the mansion. He was strapping in his suitcase, tight against the bike, when Dumbledore called out to him over his shoulder.

"Oh and by the way, Sirius, if you ever need counsel, please know that I am at your disposal. You know where to find me." With the briefest of winks the old wizard disappeared with a slight pop, having found the "special visitor" apparition point of the estate.

-**xxxxxx**-

**Potter Estate, England**  
_September 8, 1982_

Sirius paced back and forth in front of the large fireplace as he went over the departure plan with Remus, who sat a few paces away on a large, comfy-looking sofa with one leg crossed over the other. The young professor was looking much better, having almost completely recovered from the effects of the full moon several days prior.

"You're _not_ using the motorcycle, Padfoot. I don't care if you think it's safe; _I_ don't think it's safe and I will not allow you to take little Harry Potter onto that flying contraption. Not to mention the distance you'd be flying is tremendous," Remus said sternly with an expression to match, "So that's definitely off the table."

"Alright, alright, I can see your point. Apparition then?" Sirius shook his head, answering himself. "No, no, that's too far to apparate. At least for me. I also haven't done much two-person apparition. I wouldn't want to chance it with the boy... perhaps a portkey?"

"Remember the whole bit about trying to keep it a secret? And not leaving an easily traceable trail?"

Sirius nodded, "Oh. Right. So no portkeys." In order to use a portkey, you needed to register it first with the Ministry, which supposedly could monitor portkey activity throughout the country. The rate at which they catch unauthorized portkey activity is very low though, but it was still not worth the risk. Furthermore, portkeys leave a distinct magical trail for some time, a trail that could be followed directly to the destination with a little effort, should anyone want to. And there was probable cause to believe that someone, perhaps Peter himself, might attempt to finish off the Potters.

Remus asked, "Well, what about Kyuzo? Has he tandem apparated before?"

The black-haired man shrugged his shoulders and said with complete honesty, "I'm still not entirely sure of what exactly that butler is truly capable of. For all I know, this young butler is the Albus Dumbledore of Asia."

Before any of them could say anything further, Kyuzo walked in holding the little Potter. "What was that about the butler, sirs?" he asked as he sat across from Remus on an identical couch.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other. "We were just noting that you're a very skilled butler and that we have yet to know fully just how skilled you really are," Sirius told him truthfully. "Have you ever tandem apparated before?"

Kyuzo bowed his head. "I hope my skills will help me to serve Lord Potter as best I can, sir. As for tandem apparating, I have indeed done it before, but never with a child, and it was never too far a distance."

"How far is not too far a distance?" Sirius wanted to know.

"Hmm.. well the farthest distance that I can recall is roughly forty miles. If you are thinking of doing that anytime soon, I would advise against it, sir. It is quite difficult to successfully do it and it's been a while since I've tried."

"Damn. Forty miles isn't anywhere near far enough, and he's not even confident about his ability to get that far safely. There aren't a lot of options left, Sirius," Remus noted with a sigh, leaning back and rubbing his chin.

Sirius continued to pace, trying to think of another way to do it.

The young butler looked from one man to the other, one pacing and one sitting. Both wore troubled looks on their faces. The young Potter, who was currently enjoying smacking and pushing on the soft cushions of the sofa, always at the edge of his vision. "Are we talking about traveling to America without being easily traced there?"

The two young men nodded at the perceptive teen.

"Ah! I got it. Why not try muggle means? I mean, don't they have those loud flying things with massive wings?" Sirius asked aloud. He had stopped pacing again and was staring squarely at the young butler.

"Wouldn't that leave a paper trail?" Remus leaned forward, elbows on his knees and arms clasped together as he also fixated his gaze on Kyuzo.

The young butler responded to that, "From my experience so far, and from what I have read, European wizards and witches are rather archaic and deem non-magical people to be inferior. They would not think to look through muggle means of transport. It might not even be a possibility for them."

"Still..." Remus was unconvinced.

"We could use fake identities?" offered Kyuzo. To him, muggle transportation was the ideal choice.

Remus nodded slowly. "That might work. How thorough are muggles with identity checks though?"

Kyuzo thought for a moment. "I am not sure, but if it comes to it we could always use a little magic."

Sirius crossed his arms across his chest. "Wouldn't that leave a magical signature then...?"

"I have ways of covering my tracks. But, I can see your point there..." Kyuzo trailed off, thinking hard, and then a slow smile crept onto his face.

Remus noticed it first, as he continued to look at the butler while Sirius restarted his pacing. "What is it?"

"We could use the house elves to manipulate their magics, should the muggles scrutinize our false identities or any other unexpected hindrances arise."

"Wait, don't house elves have some form of apparition as well? Why don't we just use that?" asked Sirius.

Kyuzo shook his head, "Still too far of a distance, sir, even for house elf magic."

"So. Airplane then?" responded the newly-appointed Potter guardian after a moment's pause.

"It would seem to be the best option we've thought of thus far, sir," remarked the young butler as he watched as Harry crawled across the length of the couch, making baby sounds as he went.

"It's settled then. We'll be using those muggle aeroplane things," Sirius clapped his hands together, happy that the had a plan of action.

"Sir, what about the guards?" asked Kyuzo, tilting his head.

"The... guards..?" Sirius had not thought about them at all. It was only "How many are there, again?"

"Three, sir."

It was only in recent years that James and Lily had gotten bodyguards, and Sirius barely knew them so he could not really be faulted for forgetting about them. Now their mode of transportation to the states was a problem to think about too. Bringing them along on the plane would not be wise, he figured, but he also needed them to help protect Harry from whatever dangers were out there so he could not simply leave them here. Not that they'd even accept being left here either.

"Suggestions, Kyuzo? Remus?"

"No one really knows their identities so they should be able to find legitimate magical ways to make it there. I'd suggest separating them and staggering their arrivals though, as well as their destinations, just in case someone knows about them," said Kyuzo.

Remus looked agreeable on the matter, so Sirius went along with it as well.

-**xxxxxx**-

**London Heathrow Airport****  
****London, UK**  
_September 9, 1982_

"Okay, so remind me again what the plan is?" Sirius asked as they got out of the cab.

Kyuzo led the way, more familiar with these muggle surroundings than Sirius and less liable to attract attention by doing something abnormal.

The butler recounted the plan quickly as they made their way to airport security, "Well, sir. We were in England visiting relatives. You are my adoptive father and this baby is your other adopted child, my step-brother. That should explain our... differences in appearance. Your name is Gary, my name is Kevin, and Harry's name is James. Our last name is Evans. We're traveling on American passports so we're simply returning to our home in the state of New York. The house elves will use their magic on the muggle security to ensure that this all goes smoothly. All in all, a fool-proof plan."

Sirius repeated the plan again in his mind to cement it further and make sure he had all the details. "Okay, good."

They passed through security without incident, though there was a moment when the person patting him down nudged the wand that was strapped in its holster, invisible, to his right forearm. That made him do a double-take towards his forearm. One of the hidden house elves shot some spell that made him forget about it though and Sirius, much to his relief, was waved through.

"That wasn't so bad," said Sirius as he sat down at the waiting area for their gate.

Kyuzo proceeded to hand baby Harry over to him, who was still dozing.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to buy us some things - snacks and drinks. And I need to go to the restroom. I'd rather not bring him in there when I don't have to," Kyuzo explained.

Sirius nodded in understanding, looking down at the peaceful toddler. He noticed that a good number of people were looking at him, or more specifically at little Harry, and they often had smiles on their faces. Little Harry did look very cute after all, as did most toddlers. Very cute indeed.

-**xxxxxx**-

"Are you sure these things can fly?" asked Sirius as he checked for the fifth time that his seat belt was secure. He also checked to make sure his wand was still in its magically concealed holster on his right hip. Thankfully, airport security had not needed to pat him down because they might have felt the wand and its holster there, invisible though it may be.

"The answer has not changed since the last eleven times you have asked, sir. Yes, these airplanes were engineered to fly," the young butler replied, showing a hint of irritation although he was mostly bemused by the antics of the new patriarch of the Potter family, patriarch at least temporarily until Harry came of age that is.

"But can it fly safely? That's my primary concern at the moment."

"If you would like, sir, I can safely render you unconscious so you may sleep through the whole flight."

"And I'll _violently_ render _you _unconscious for being so irritatingly calm and muggle-knowledgeable about all this," Sirius muttered under his breath so quietly that it was hard for the young butler to understand, especially since the flight attendant chose that moment to speak over the PA system, although Kyuzo was sure it was some comment aimed at him.

The term 'muggle-knowledgable' further underscored for him the fact that beyond motorcycles and automobiles, Sirius knew very little about the muggle world and its technological wonders; catching up with all of that was one of his top priorities once they made it to the Potter Mansion in America. And as he thought about it, he begrudgingly figured that he would need Kyuzo's help in that endeavor.

The toddler Potter was surprisingly quiet, dozing in Kyuzo's arms as the plane readied for takeoff, and for that peacefulness the two young men were grateful. Several hours in cramped quarters with a wailing two-year-old child was something they would much rather avoid, and it was not something that Sirius had even thought about until Kyuzo brought it up, at which point he began to eye the sleeping infant warily. There were a lot more than muggles that he did not know about, raising a child being at the forefront in importance.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Sirius said as the plane lurched forward, the fuselage shuddering, pushing the passengers back into their seats as the aircraft accelerated down the runway.

Kyuzo glanced at him with his same impassive look, accustomed to the movements and sounds of aircraft. "It was _your_ decision, sir."

"That didn't answer my question!"

"But it being your decision, you should therefore logically know the answer to the question you posed," the teen proceeded to attend to little Harry Potter as the baby stirred. It began to let out a few cries, having been physically jarred from his sleep thanks to the shuddering of the plane due to turbulence. He shushed the toddler quietly and soothingly.

Sirius shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh and resting his head back. His eyes shut as the plane continued its ascent. If he did not fall asleep, it was surely going to be a long flight. "We should've just taken the motorcycle," he grumbled as he adjusted himself to a more comfortable position.

Some time later, Sirius was barely awake when Kyuzo spoke to break the silence that had fallen between them. "You know, sir. I just thought of an even easier and better solution that we had originally missed."

"Mmm.. and... what's that?"

"We could have used house elf apparition, or whatever they call it, and 'hopped' our way to America instead of going the full distance in one go."

"Hopped...? I don't follow."

Kyuzo quickly explained the concept that had come to him right then and there. Basically, instead of moving in one go from England to America, they would hop to a closer destination, and then the next closest, and then the next after that. They could have gone to the northernmost tip of England, then the Faroe Islands, then Iceland, then Greenland, then Canada, and _then_ America.

"Is it too late?" asked a tired Sirius, yawning and blinking slowly as he had found a comfortable position and was beginning to fade.

"Well, the house elves _are _on board, and I think we're not too far from shore..."

Sirius closed his eyes, reclining the seat back after having been shown how to do so earlier by one of the flight attendants. He was even more comfortable as he threw over himself the complimentary blanket that had been placed on his seat along with his pillow. "Bugger it. Let's just stay on the plane and enjoy the rest of this blasted ride..."

Kyuzo's lips twitched into the slightest of smiles.

* * *

**Author's notes: **And there's an update for you. Short, I know, but things shall pick up soon enough.


End file.
